NiiChan
by Rutoh-Chan
Summary: After Naraku is defeated, Kagome runs off in fury and heartache with no explanation to her friends.  Will she find salvation in the brother that Inuyasha rejected?  Complete ish.  Need reveiws for epilogue!
1. Rain

Rutoh-Chan: Hi all, first story. Hope you like it. But first, I want you to meet some people. Everyone, meet Bob and Joe.

Bob: Hi

Joe: Hello

Ru-Chan: They are my representatives for this site and my wonderful imaginary friends. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Kagome ran, crying as she stumbled over tree roots and rocks. She didn't know why she ran really. She wanted to forgive and forget. But this time, it was her fault, she had made the choice. Her black hair trailing behind her and her brown eyes dancing with wetness, she ran on and on. They would not run after her, they did not know how fast and far she could run when she wanted to. They did not know anything about her at all.

She ran steadily, even when she passed the edge of the territory Naraku had called his own once. She tripped and nearly fell as she tried to spread her legs father apart to cover more ground. The dress she was in hindered her ability to move quickly. She slowed down and looked for a nice clump of bushes to change behind. She had grabbed her bag when she had run off and could change. It started to rain right before she found the place.

She quickly ducked behind the bushes and pulled on a pair of loose jeans and a black shirt. Her uniforms and other outfits were white and it was raining. She did not want to meet anyone while she was wearing white. With her new outfit on her pace lengthened and she moved faster. She could feel night fall, even though the clouds obscured the sky. Her blood felt the transition in the world she knew so well. But she kept running.

Eventually she tired, it was inevitable. On a normal day she would have run for at least two days straight, but her Summoning had drained her. She was not supposed to be able to do that, and in doing it she had expended more than her normal power level. She found a thick, solid tree to sit under were she could dry off during the night. She leaned back against it and tried to sleep, but something didn't feel right.

Of course, she had no one to sit watch. Slowly she pulled a small jewel out her pocket. It let out a slight but steady blue pink glow. And more importantly, it was _whole_. The Shikon Jewel lay in her palm, whole and powerful once more. It had helped her with the Summoning, it was the only reason she could do it. But now she understood why Ru-Chan (You'll meet her later) did not like to do Summonings. Kagome sighed once more, pocketed the Jewel and put all thoughts of it from her mind. If a demon came and took it from her in her sleep, she didn't care anymore. She didn't even care if it killed her, though the others might not be too happy, especially Rei-Chan. But really, she just didn't care at all anymore. The world meant so little. And maybe if she died, it would stop the tormenting pain that swelled in her heart. Just maybe the pain would go away.

* * *

Further off, though not too far off, a little girl in an orange and yellow kimono with black hair and green eyes followed a tall demon with silver hair and amber eyes. The presence of the little girl with the tall demon was considered strange, but as the young Lord of the West looked down at his charge, he felt no regret whatsoever in letting her come along. Rin complained much less than Jaken did as they went traveling around. And when the rain started where Jaken mumbled about being wet and cold, Rin danced around in the rain, laughing and the water droplets and the reactions of them hitting her small green toad like companion. Yes, he did not regret at all what had happened. 

After they had been walking in the rain for some time, Rin sneezed. It was a small sneeze, and she ignored it, as well as her companions. It was when she didn't stop sneezing as time wore on that her tall guardian became worried about her. They had been in the rain for some time, and though he did not suffer from the cold and wet, Rin was human and was not wearing shoes or a long kimono. The wind that whipped about her and the rain that hit her skin were dangerous to her.

"Jaken, Rin, we will find shelter for the rest of the night."

"But Lord Sesshomaru, we have already taken a long break. And this is only a bit of rain." The frog demon protested.

Sesshomaru ignored him and began to search for a suitable shelter, finding one in a cave not far off. They stopped here and settled down for the night. Still worried about his young charge, the demon sat down next to her and wrapped her in his fluff on his right shoulder to wait out the rest of the night.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Well, watcha think. Review please.

Joe: She's very open to criticism.

Bob: Respectful and constructive criticism. Nobody likes being called a loser.

Ru-Chan: I will update when enough people have read my stroy, so tell your friends if you liked it.


	2. Strange Things

Joe: Hey, sorry we're so late coming back.

Ru-Chan: I was going to update way earlier, and I had only put up one lousey short chapter, but then I got this inner ear infection and I couldn't stand up for a week. Then I was going to update on Saturday, and my internet went down. So here it is. The long awaited second chapter.

Bob: Hope you like it.

* * *

Kagome woke the next morning, cold, but no longer tired or wet. She stretched slowly, then got up and started walking to get the blood pumping in her legs. When they woke up, she started to run again, faster and faster till she could leave everything behind her. Suddenly she stopped, thinking of something and put her hand into the pocket. Slowly she felt around till her hand closed over the Jewel. It was still there. That surprised her. She would have thought that someone would have tried to take it from her, especially since it was whole now. She shrugged, thinking that the other demons must not have returned from being pushed away from Naraku's territory yet. He had been strong and they would have wanted to stay as far away from him as hey could. Putting it at the back of her mind, she kept on running. But another part of her had to push aside the thought that it was because of her that the demons ran. She picked up speed, not realizing she might not be able to stop if someone stepped in front of her.

* * *

Sesshomaru looked down at the small girl next to him after waking up. He noticed that her face had taken on a slight flush and her breathing was shallow. Resting a hand to her forehead he found that her skin was hot and sweaty. He frowned. He had no experience in any sickness and could not help the small girl beside him.

He stood up, wrapped his fluff around her taking it off his shoulder and making sure that she would be warm. Then he looked to Jaken.

"Watch her. I am going to find someone to help her. If anything happens to her, I will hold you responsible. Do not fail me."

Jaken gulped and nodded.

* * *

As he walked through the woods, Sesshomaru wondered were to begin. He supposed that he should find a human or one of their settlements and ask for help, so he sniffed the air apprehensively, wondering how much time he had. Then he smelt it. It surprised him how quickly he had found it, and it somehow seemed familiar. It was coming towards him on the path a little was off. He walked toward the path. When he got on it, he looked around, examining his surroundings and making sure nothing dangerous to his charge was near. Suddenly he saw a black and blue blur coming at him, to late to stop it crashing into him. The human he had smelt now sat on top of him, groaning in the pain of the sudden impact.

She suddenly spoke, scrambling off of him. "I'm so sorry sir, I didn't see you there, shoulda been more careful, I'm…"

As brown eyes met amber the voice stopped. Her pupils dilated until there was only a pinprick left. Suddenly she turned and started to take off, but Sesshomaru grabbed her arm.

"Are you the human girl that traveled with my half breed brother?'

Kagome gulped. "Yes." She didn't know why she was afraid. She could easily get away, or even fight him, but panic filled her all the same.

"You know healing, and sickness right."

Surprised she nodded.

"Good, come."

It was a command, but she didn't have to obey. She could run. But curiosity made her follow the tall demon. She noticed his fluff was missing and started to wonder what had happened. She quickened her steps and followed.

Sesshomaru led her to a cave not far off were the toad like demon Jaken stood watch over something wrapped in Sesshomaru's fluff near the middle of the cave. She followed him over to it and saw a young girl wrapped in it. Kagome was shocked. The girl was human. She quickly spotted why he had brought her. The girl had a high fever and was not well. Whatever his reasons for helping the girl, it was more important to save her right now. Kagome set to work finding cool water and getting out her medicine from her bag. In a short time she had the little girl warm with a cool cloth on her head and fever reducer down her throat. Kagome sat up against the wall of the cave to relax, then realized she didn't know what to do next. The girl was taken care of for now, but she didn't know if the demon lord still needed her around. She looked to him for a sign. He saw her stare and met it with his own.

"You will stay here till she is well, unless you can teach and supply me. Then you can be on you way." Kagome shook her head and settled down for a nap.

The demon watched her for some time, then told Jaken to take care of the two humans while he went out for a bit. Jaken nodded in confusion, wondering what his master could be doing. He saw when his lord returned. Sesshomaru brought in two rabbits and some stones which he arranged in a circle on the floor. Then he found and gathered firewood for later. The two humans slept on.

* * *

Ru-Chan: I will update soon. The other chapter is actually almost done already. I just need to put in a little more, upload it, adjust for comments, and see if I can have my internet work when I make it home.

Joe: She really will update sooner this time. Friday looks good, no later than Saturday.

Bob: Hoped you liked it. review please.


	3. Rin

Ru-Chan: Here it is, chapter three. Its kinda boring, the next one is better. If I get loads of reviews I'll update faster. Keep that in mind with all of my stories (when they bother to show up).

Bob: She means when she bothers to write them down and upload them to this site. Lazy bum.

Ru-Chan: I made you, you know. I could always remake you.

Bob: You don't scare me.

Ru-Chan: whispers inaudible stuff in Bob's ear

Bob(pale): You wouldn't.

Ru-Chan: (evil smile) Kay folks, here it is.

* * *

When Kagome woke she checked her charge. The girl had recovered quickly but still needed another day or two of rest. Her forehead was cooler and not at all sweaty like it had been the day before. This was good and made her happy. When Kagome turned around she noticed a fire pit had been built and firewood had been gathered and next to the fire pit were some animals that could be cooked into some form of stew with the right other ingredients. With that thought in mind, Kagome walked out of the cave soon to be followed by Jaken, to her great annoyance, but thankfully the frog demon kept his mouth shut (wow, it's a miracle. Will it last, never; I just hate the guy to much to make him too important.). When she had gathered the necessary items, Kagome returned to the cave, started the fire and set water to boil. 

As Sesshomaru watched the human girl sitting on the floor in front of the fire he was surprised, particularly she casually reached down the back of her shirt and drew a very fine knife out and began cutting open the small animals as though she did it all the time. Looking closely at the knife he saw that it was a very nice weapon with a sharp edged blade that cut through the animals easily. The hilt was a very fine piece of work also, fitting nicely into the human girls hand while being an intricate carving of a sitting wolf howling toward a diamond moon set in the top of the hilt. When she finished cutting the animals she pulled a cloth from her bag and cleaned the blade, then began to cut up the other ingredients that were dropped in succession into the pot of boiling water.

The smell of the food woke the girl in the back of the cave, causing her to sit up and sniff anxiously at the smell coming from the front of the cave. Looking down Rin saw that she wrapped in her lords fluff that he carried on his shoulder. This delighted her, she had always wondered what it felt like and now she was wrapped up warmly in it. Looking toward the smell in the cave she was surprised to see a girl sitting in front of a fire stirring some sort of stew that was in the pot. When the girl turned around to check on her charge she smiled when she saw that the young girl was up. She waved for the girl to join her by the fire, then pulled two bowls out of her backpack and filled them with the stew. The girls ate in silence for a long time before the little girl looked up and said, "More please."

"Alright, but first, what's your name. Mine's Kagome."

"I'm Rin. I think you're nice. Why are you here?"

Kagome laughed. "To take care of you. I will leave again once you feel all the way better. Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, but you can't leave now, I'm not all better yet."

"Alright, I'll stay for a little while longer."

"Okay, yay!"

Sesshomaru watched the little girl open up to the stranger and was amused by it. He remembered that she didn't speak at all when he had first saved her, not to either of them. She had been an orphan in the village he had recovered next to and had tried to help him in her silent way. Leaning against the wall he remembered all of their travels together and smiled softly (Can you see it? I know he's smiled before, but it was his angry smile. This one's nice, wow, people are really out of place here aren't they.) enjoying the memories and watching the two girls in front of him.

Rin soon tired and started to nod off. Kagome lifted her and took her back to the fluff in the back of the cave and wrapped her back up so that she would stay warm. She then went back to the front of the cave, finished off the stew, put out the fire, and crawled into her sleeping bag which she yanked out of yellow bag. The whole time Sesshomaru watched her with interest. When she finally fell asleep Sesshomaru stepped outside and watched the woods for the rest of the night.

* * *

Joe:The next one will be better, we promise. And longer. 

Ru-Chan: You just have to actually review this time for me to put the next one up. I mean it okay.

Bob: More reviews, faster update. Tell your friends to review. Even if its garble, we count numbers. Then you will be happy and so will we.

Ru-Chan: I'm serious okay, I have gotten one review for both of the chapters I already put up. ONE REVIEW. I need more if you ever want to see chapter four, which is already written and waiting for people to review the other parts of the story. REVIEW. Thanks.


	4. Group

Ru-Chan: AHHHHHHHH, I'M SO SORRY! I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN FOREVER!

Joe: The internet went down at her house over break.

Bob: You have no idea how bad she feels.

Ru-Chan: Okay, I am not giving up the series, in case you didn't figure that out from the new chapter.

Bob: But we would still like it for people to review the story.

Joe: Here you go, chapter four, at last.

* * *

The next day Kagome woke up and rolled her sleeping bag up. It was such common practice she didn't look up as she preformed the task. When she did look up she saw Rin staring at her waiting patiently for the older girl in front of her to say something. Kagome laughed and asked Rin if she wanted breakfast. The little girl nodded her head in earnest and Kagome had to laugh again. When she caught her self she was some what surprised. It had only been two days since she had felt like she would never be able to be happy again. Now she was laughing at the simple antics of a small girl she barley knew. Unable to contain herself she chuckled at the irony of it all, then went to get water to boil.

When the water had boiled and the instant ramen cups had been prepared for both girls Kagome tried to strike up a conversation with the girl. She liked the child, and noticed the little girl could make her laugh. She wanted to laugh even after all that had happened two days before, and the little girl made her feel happy and childish herself.

"So, are you feeling better this morning Rin? I don't mean to leave just yet, I just wonder how you feel."

"I feel much better, but I'm still tired."

"Well than, I had better stay longer, shouldn't I?"

Rin nodded her head in eager agreement, finished her breakfast, and managed to walk back to the fluff herself to take her nap. Kagome turned her head to see Sesshomaru staring at her. She didn't like it. His eyes were too much like his brothers, it made her lonely to look up and see them staring at her so.

"I don't suppose anyone ever taught you that it is rude to stare."

"You will be returned to the others when Rin is well. They will be worried about you I am sure. I will take you until we find them."

"Thanks but no thanks. I don't need to go back to them."

"No, but you need their protection. You carry the Shikon Jewel with you; you are not safe on your own. You need your friends to protect you. The only reason you have not been bothered yet is the demons in the area have been frightened away first by Naraku and now by myself. You will be in danger once you leave."

"Then maybe I won't."

The demon lord looked up in surprise. He had not expected this, and he quite frankly did not want to deal with his brother's reaction to it.

"Face it. You need someone to look after the girl. You still don't know how to take care of her. I need, as you say, traveling companions, and if the demons in this area are any reflection, then you would be a good choice. I avoid the most conflict this way, except for maybe some arguments with Jaken. And come to think of it, maybe some with you. It's logical."

"But why not try and find your friends. They will be of more help to you, and I will travel with you till you get their protection. Why would you want to stay with me…the group?"

Kagome just smiled at him, but he noticed that it didn't reach her eyes. "Let's just say I need some time off. And you still need a babysitter."

"A what?"

"Babysitter. When I'm from, they're just people who watch younger children or small babies for other people, usually for small amounts of time. But I would watch her all the time."

He nodded his understanding. Kagome walked outside the cave took a deep breath of fresh air in. It felt good to be outside all the time. It helped her to forget all of her problems, leave the past behind her. It was after all, her fault, she chose to do the Summoning. It was her fault for having to leave them all behind. Her fault.

Sesshomaru came and stood behind her. "Why do you not want to go back?"

She didn't know why, but something in his voice made her feel comfortable, like he would listen and not breath a word. Besides, she had wanted to tell someone how she felt for so long.

"It was Inuyasha. Ever since Naraku killed Kikyou he got, I dunno, down. I guess it was kinda stupid to leave for that, but he kept looking at me weird and acting funny, more like he had acted when we first met. Like I was really Kikyou and there was no way I couldn't be. I felt like he wanted to reach out all the time and love me, but was just too not like Kikyou for him to want treat me like her. I guess I always wanted him to appreciate me more, but I wanted him to like me, not the part of Kikyou that he saw in me. I just had to get away after a while, so I went on a walk. Naraku captured me. I got away just two days ago, right before you found me. I got the jewel and ran, which is why I ran into you."

Sesshomaru had the feeling that the girl was leaving something out intentionally, but didn't pry. She had said a good deal considering. If she wished it, the rest would come. If not, he did not care. He knew why she left. His half breed brother was just being as insufferable as ever. It was not surprising that the human girl had tired of his whining and his indecisive nature. He found the girl tolerable in a strange way, so much more adult than Rin, but without that human sense of pride, as though she had seen things and truly understood all of the boundaries. When she walked back into the cave he watched her carefully. He noted balance and grace along with a certain amount of leisure to her walk, not at all tense or wary, but comfortable and conformed. She carried herself with pride and yet had a certain childish energy in her appearance. She would be a good traveling companion, and she traveled often so she would not complain as Jaken did. Even Rin held her tongue over the long distances while Jaken wasted energy and breath on complaints of every kind. The girl would do alright.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Well, watcha think. I know this is kinda slow, but please just be patient. I hate to hear it as much as you do, but I need time to give you a good direction. 

Joe: Please review


	5. Journey

Ru-Chan: I was so ahppy, I got one more review. I would like to apologize once more for the last late update. I feel really bad about that. Onto a new chapter. I hope you all like it. Oh, and I guess its probably about time that I said I don't own Inuyahsa or any of the other animes that will be seen in this story. Here is the chapter.

* * *

It took a week or so for Rin to fully heal. Kagome suspected it had to do with her young age. When she was all better Kagome erased all signs of their presence in the cave and followed behind Rin as the demon lord walked off. The quiet on the hike startled her. She would have thought that the girl would make much more noise. But the little girl only hummed on occasion and broke out in song only once. When Kagome noticed that the girl was beginning to tire, she hoisted Rin onto her shoulders and carried her, much to the young girls delight. Jaken grumbled and complained under his breath the whole time, sometimes picking up his voice when he was particularly vexed. At one such point he let out a series of angry squawks and crude phrases falling waist deep into a puddle of mud. It had rained twice more while the group had stayed in the cave. Sesshomaru turned his head once to look at the frog demon, who quieted instantly and found a vine nearby that he could have sworn was not there before which he used to pull himself out.

Many of the days went by in such a manner. The group stopped only sparsely and Kagome found it hard to get food to the girl all the time. Instead, Rin showed her all of the plants that she had found to be tasty as she had traveled with the demon lord. She could gather them quickly and eat them as she walked. It soon became a fun game for the two of them to try and spot and of their meals or in between snacks before the other so if there was an odd amount it would go to the winner. Kagome and Rin had many a laugh on the slow days trying to catch Jaken and make him wear flower wreaths and such. They often caught him and spent hours of enjoyment watching him try to take the things off. His stubby fingers made it hard to tear at even the most delicate stems.

Rin soon found that Kagome knew many good stories to tell a child and begged them off her as often as she could. Kagome would often comply and tell the girls tales from her time in the future, and stories she knew from the past.

"Onee-Chan (honorific big sister, or literal in some cases), tell me a story. Tell me the story of the fire princess."

"You want to hear that one again. I told it to you yesterday and the day before."

"It was a pretty story Onee-Chan."

Kagome laughed. The group was sitting around the fire taking their first break in several days. Jaken grumbled and talked about time wasters while Sesshomaru watched quietly.

"Alright, but you must promise to go to bed as soon as I finish."

The little girl nodded her head and lay down on the grass to show that she was ready to go to bed when the story was done.

_Once upon a time, 5,000 years ago, (_A/N: bear with me on the time frame here), _a beautiful kingdom existed. Not just one kingdom, but many, and they all untied to be part a grand kingdom that prospered with peace and happiness. There were some who did not like the alliances that were made and said that they should be destroyed, and others that said they did not like the alliances, but peace was good and necessary in the different lands. They were many more than the other type of people and so the treaties lasted throughout the lands for several years more._

_But those that were not happy with the treaty decided to make a revolt. The treaties were made between all of the planets and the several kingdoms that existed in the different dimensions of the earth. A group from the earth went and began the attack starting with the moon, though in a matter of hours numerous hosts were released in all of the kingdoms. In the kingdom on Mars, the princess was trying to reach the road to the move so that she could protect the princess there, as was part to the treaty. But she was ambushed. The man from earth that she had fallen in love with and was quite luckily in some ways to betrothed to, protected her, but he was felled with a sword as she finally reached the road. Leaving him behind was the hardest thing the princess had ever done, but she knew she must reach her princess._

_Everything turned out to be in vain. All of the kingdoms fell, even the kingdom of the Lady of Earth was betrayed and destroyed. Luckily, the queens of all the kingdoms were able to send the fugitives and royalty to the future where they would start a knew life._

_It worked and all seemed as perfect as can be, but something happened. The princess of fire felt a betrayal in her heart toward the prince she had been betrothed to. He had promised her everything would be all right, and watching him as she had to leave, she could not believe him. This sorrow was carried with her to her new home on earth. When she met a young man and befriended him it would have seemed otherwise. But when he was forced to leave, and found new friends to replace her, she was heartbroken and the pain was just too real for her to deny._

_She closed her heart, locked out any love she would have had towards any male. It meant that she could save her love when she met her prince again, but it would be hard to do. She lived for years without ant love and built up strong walls so that when she would meet her prince, he would have a hard job of it. But deep inside the darkest depths of her heart a small fire was still burning. It was reaching embers, but it needed only a little fuel for her heart to reach out once again, if he could only reach her before the fire went out. Years went by and nothing came. But some say that he has arrived and is even now reaching for the heart to rekindle the flame once thought to be lost._

Kagome finished her story and looked at Rin who stared back at her with wide eyes. "You promised you would go to bed now." A nod was her answer and the little head lowered to the ground and closed its eyes. When it was obvious that the girl had fallen asleep, Sesshomaru spoke.

"That was a very strange story you told her. It is not like most stories that you hear anymore. And you know others like it, from where I wonder."

"I heard them from a friend mostly. Ru-Chan taught them to me and to Set-Chan and Ri-Chan and Rin-Chan. She knows all sorts of stories about the past and people in it. She knows how to bring them up to date too. She tells them much better than I do."

"I thought you sounded wonderful."

Kagome looked him directly in the eyes. She didn't see any humor, just solid truth, no flirtation either. His voice was solid and unwavering when he had said it, without flattery or embellishment. It was a compliment, pure and simple. A thought that was expressed to show pleasure in the way she told the story. And kindness, it was there too, in only a small amount, but Kagome had found that Rin often brought out the best in this demon. Perhaps he was changing, and could afford to give a compliment to a human girl without any offense to his pride. Perhaps the girl had helped him with that.

"Thank you."

Sesshomaru had wanted to see how she would react to his compliment, and he had seen that she had taken it exactly as it had been meant, a mere compliment on her story telling skills. So she was not a romantic and flirtatious human. She kept a level head and analyzed everything in her surroundings. Strange how his half breed brother had captured her affections, even for a time. He was dramatics and romanticism for all of her levelness and consideration. Yes, she was a good girl, and a good storyteller for that matter. But that was all he saw. A hardworking girl who could tell a child a story and get to go to bed with hardly a thought towards it, make his brother land in the dirt with a word, and guide a group of hopeless people find the shards of a very powerful jewel. She could even abandon them when they grew wearisome on her nerves. She was a good girl. But she was simply not for Sesshomaru.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Well, watcha think. Surprised? Just wait for the next chapter. And I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed me so far. I love hearing what you have to say. If you see any mistakes be sure to tell me right away.I like to fix whatI can. And if you have any suggestions let me know. I want to make my readers happy. I would like to thank Laesk Light for some ideas that she gave me and tell her that there will be plenty of surprises.


	6. Searching

Ru-Chan: Well, here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. I enjoyed writing it.

Joe: More reviews, sooner updates.

* * *

Kagome opened her eyes the next day to see a pair of green ones staring intently at her. She sat up and looked at Rin who was still sitting next to her, staring intently and waiting patiently.

"What do need Rin?"

"We're leaving. You're coming right?"

Kagome ruffled her hair. "Of course I'm coming silly."

Kagome got rid of any signs that they had camped in the spot and the group left for their journey that day.

* * *

Inuyasha leaned back against a tree (bet you never thought you'd see him, did ya), and sighed heavily. It had been weeks since Kagome had run off, he was sure she was dead now. What really annoyed the half demon was he didn't understand why she left, or why she had taken the jewel with her. He had asked her to leave it behind if she was really going to go, but she had flat out refused him. He sighed again and looked up into the branches of the tree.

"Your thinking about Kagome again, aren't you Inuyasha."

Inuyasha turned to see Kikyou walking towards him. (I really would be willing to bet you NEVER EVER expected to see her again. How many of you have guessed what happened.) She looked just as she always did, carrying her bow and quiver, dressed in her miko outfit, black hair pulled back with to strands hanging loosely, framing her face. He smiled when he saw her.

"What makes you think I'm thinking about Kagome?"

"You look upset and disappointed. You thought you were going to find her when you didn't chase her right away. You didn't find her and now she carries a powerful item that calls demons to her with its power. They will fight her for it and likely destroy her. You felt like you didn't do enough when we left to come back and you have wandered around in guilt ever since we got back. Even Shippo could guess what you're thinking about when you go on one of your walks. I came out here to tell you to stop it. The moping won't help you. We need to find where the jewel is now and get back here where we can protect it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. We do need to find the jewel and keep it here. Let's go get the others."

"No need. I already gathered them. We're waiting for you."

"Then let's go."

The two of them walked down toward the village and spotted the others waiting for them. Sango and Shippo were already on Kilala and Miroku was waiting beside them. Kikyou hopped up behind Sango and settled her self so that she was comfortable.

"Alright, time to go find the jewel." Inuyasha said. He took off towards the road outside the village, the others following not to far behind. "Hey Kikyou, can you sense the jewel anywhere nearby or are we just going to have to ask around for clues."

"I can't sense it, so it must be far away. We will have to ask around at the villages we pass along the way. We might want to ask if anyone has seen Kagome, that could set us on the right track as well."

Inuyasha nodded at this. There was still a chance, however small, that she could be out there still. All he could do was hope he had not failed again.

* * *

Kagome sat by a stream. Jaken was talking with Sesshomaru about where to go next. They seemed to have no plan after fighting Naraku, and so had no idea where to go next.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome called suddenly. The demon lord turned to look at her. "If it's alright with you, I would like to go to the Inuyasha forest and go sown the well." She had told him already of her traveling through time to reach this place. "I need supplies and I haven't been home in a while. I would like to check up on my friends on the other side. I may take a day or two at most, but it would give us somewhere to go."

"Very well, we night as well set out immediately. Come Jaken, you too Rin."

With little time and less effort, the group set off towards the well, and to Kagome's other home. Kagome smiled when she thought that they might make it back in time for a Thursday night get together with her gang.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Hoped you liked the chapter. Don't worry, you'll meet Kagome's friends soon.

Bob: Review please.


	7. Clue

Ru-Chan: Sorry it took so long to update, butI didn't see any reviews until today. I try and keep up,checking several times a day, cause I like to update and write my story. But noe one had updated before the weekend and I was busy. Now, enough lame excuses. Onto the next chapter. Please review. I do not update until I have at least one new review, and I don't care what chapter its for, but until I know someone cares, I don't give everyone else more.

Joe: Stop ranting and get on with the story.

* * *

Kagome turned back for what felt like the hundredth time. She frowned as she watched the demon lord pick through the remains of the village they had stumbled upon in the early morning. It was almost midday now. Neither of them said anything, but they both knew that with the power of Naraku gone, demons would be hunting in vast hungry numbers. This was likely to be the first of many villages. She was about to call out to him to come so that they could take Rin out of this place, but the demon lord replaced the item he had just picked up and started walking again toward the Inuyasha Forest.

They had stopped in a few villages these last few nights and wear able to find shelter in barns thanks to Kagome's negotiating. Each time they left, Kagome wondered if anyone would track them through the people that they had stayed with. She hoped not. Any encounter right now would be too much, even for her.

* * *

Inuyasha and his group had traveled far in the week that they had been gone. With they exception of Miroku, everyone was able to go great distances very quickly, and Miroku only needed an occasional break, hardened by the first search for Kagome.

The group was calm and was looking for a place to break for a late lunch. They had made the mistake of stopping right before midday, and Inuyasha refused to break in close increments of time. It was at this time that they stumbled on the remains of a village. It was obvious that demons had feasted there, leaving behind a mess no person would want to clean. The smells of death, rot, and fire filtered through Inuyasha's sensitive nose. He swore continually under his breath while trying to cover his nose with his sleeve.

"This place reeks of all kinds of nasty stuff. Can you smell it Shippo." Inuyasha asked his young friend (no complaints about this word people).

"Yeah, and I think I may just be sick, so if you'll excuse me for a moment." He ran a ways off to spare his group the stench and the sounds of his being sick. A breeze picked up, carrying the stench heavily into Inuyasha's face. He gagged, then sniffed the air, immediately regretting it, but refusing to stop sniffing.

"What's wrong?" came the inquiry of Sango. "What do you smell?"

"I dunno, it's almost like two scents that I know really well, but they keep mixing with each other and the other junk in the air. It bothers me though, because I know one fairly well and I know the other by heart, but with all this other garbage I can't quite place them." He looked around anxiously, hoping for some kind of sign, but found none. "Let's head over to the other side of those hills across there. That way we won't lose what little lunch we have."

Shippo, who had just staggered back nodded in agreement. The group crossed over the hill and breathed in the fresh air. They ate quickly and quietly, and were soon hurrying on their way again, hoping to find a village where they could replenish their supplies.

As luck would have it, they stumbled on one at nightfall. They decided to camp out of the village that night and wait for the next day to replenish their stock. They had enough food to last them the night and the morning as well. They could afford to wait. Folks would also be weary of a group as strange as their coming in at night. Best to wait for daylight for a better impression.

When morning came they approached the village with caution. There was no telling how they would be welcomed. Fortunately, the villagers seemed resigned to whatever came there way, and let the group buy all the things that they needed. The group was wondering what made them so welcome when they heard a conversation on there way out between two elderly women.

"Two groups, and in as many days. Luckily these didn't cause a fuss like the other ones. That girl was so outlandish." said the first.

"Yes, and her company. I would not want a protector like that at all. Who do you suppose the child belonged to? Them?" the second asked anxiously.

"Don't be stupid. The girl may have had black hair, but she was orphaned. They must have taken pity on her. She took after neither of them at all. And what a fuss she raised over where they would stay. No not in the house or the inn, but in the barn for shelter so they would not inconvenience or disturb anyone. They left before the farmer even woke up, leaving a nice stack of firewood as payment. I fear more strangers may pass through these parts."

"How terrifying. These are better I suppose, but there are more demons among them. Let us hope they do not intend to linger."

Inuyasha nudged Kikyou. She was the one who knew how to politely interrupt the conversation without sounding like they had been eavesdropping the whole time. She understood his message and walked over to the two women.

"Excuse me, but we've heard that there was another group through here just a day or two ago. Perchance did you see them?"

The first woman nodded. "Aye, there was a girl, about your age, though younger, and a tall demon with her, a small child and another demon that was much smaller."

"What did the girl look like?"

"Strangest girl I've ever seen. Carried a bow and quiver on her back, but dressed in a most peculiar garment. I couldn't tell you what it was, just that the bottom was a blue color and the top was black. Couldn't understand why she'd wear that, but I was her choice I suppose."

Kikyou thanked the two women and went back to the others. "It has to be Kagome. She wasn't dressed normally they said. She is also with someone else, so I think she found protection."

"But they're heading the other way right?" Sango asked. Kikyou nodded mutely.

"So let's go back, and hurry. We need to catch her before she goes through the well." Inuyasha said. The others nodded and they headed back out the way that they came.

* * *

Kagome and the others were nearing the Inuyasha Forest, and the well, after a week of traveling past the town (Inuyasha and his group are three days behind them right now). Suddenly she called to Sesshomaru to stop.

"What is it?"

"We should get off the road and not get back on. We don't know were Inuyasha and the others are and there is no reason to get into a fight. We should get off the road and travel though the woods. I can find the well, but I will have to take the lead from here. I hope you don't mind."

Sesshomaru merely nodded and stood waiting. Kagome took the lead and started off the road. She hoped that their scents would be gone by the time that anyone who knew them came through. Thinking about it she decided to contact Set-Chan right then. She would be in time for the Thursday night get together after all.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Okay, what did you think. I hope you liked it. I need some help. I want to start another fanfic, but I have no ideas where to begin. I want you to vote on one ofthethings listed belowto make my base. It will be another crossover most likely, but I want one world to have most of the plot in. Anyway, here are the choices-

1.Fullmetal Alchemist

2.Inuyasha

3.Witch Hunter Robin

4.Wish

5.Yu-Gi-Oh

You are even welcome to make suggestions, and I will recognize you in the story. Thanks, please review and vote.


	8. Friends

Ru-Chan: I would like to apologize for not updating earlier, but I am starting to feel dejected again. I had only one review even after I aked for yolu to vote on my next story. It makes me sad. Please review this time. I will post the poll again below.

Bob: Enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Kagome walked down the streets smiling at her luck. She had gotten home without any problems, everyone was getting together for Thursday night gathering, and she had managed to get a bath before she arrived. Now she walked into a diner called Harry's and went down a short hallway to be greeted by four people sitting at the bar. She smiled and sat down next to Ru-Chan, a brown eyed, brown haired girl about her own age who seemed simple but held great cunning. Next to her was Set-Chan, tall and a little older than the others with brown hair and bright blue eyes. He was not smiling like the others were, but that was only to be expected. Beside him was Ri-Chan, brown haired with brown eyes also, and possibly the most innocent seeming of the group. She radiated kindness and an incurable shyness, but was a dedicated friend and very strong. Then there was Rin-Chan, blonde haired and green eyed and silent most of the time. But when she spoke it meant something, and hearing her sing was glorious.

"Gome-Chan, you actually made it." The smiling Ru-Chan exclaimed as Kagome settled down on the high stool. Harry, the owner of the diner asked her if she would like the usual. When she said yes he went into the back and came back with a bottle that held a red orange liquid. She still did not know how best to describe the drink, but it was most easily explained as power in a bottle. Those who were connected with the elements or had any powers at all responded to it with attentiveness and raised power levels. Anyone human was not as lucky. She had seen the results only once and wished desperately that she had not.

"Of course I made it. You didn't think I would stay there forever did you?"

"I thought that the Inu boy wouldn't be able to bear you leaving his sight for more than ten seconds. How'd you convince him?" Set-Chan asked. Kagome stayed silent and looked down, swishing her drink in the bottle. It was Ru-Chan that answered.

"They don't know she's here. They don't even know if she's alive. She got what she journeyed for and left them behind. Now she has new protection." It was said without ceremony, but had a certain weight to it that made Kagome squirm with guilt. She should have said good-bye at least. It would have been better than no explanation at all.

"Will you go back?" That was Ri-Chan, concern in her eyes. Kagome leaned back a bit, remembering that there was no back to the chair. She looked at the ceiling playing with the end of her hair.

"I have to go back to at least tell my 'new protection' that I don't mean to come back ever again. Rin will be sad but-"

"Hold it, you got Sesshomaru to protect you. How'd you manage that?" Rin-Chan asked incredulously. So Kagome told them the story of how she ran away and found Sesshomaru and Rin. The others knew about Sesshomaru from past talks like these. They knew Rin because Kagome had told them that she had confirmed her suspicions that she had had for a long time. Yes Sesshomaru was traveling with a young girl and her name was Rin. She failed to mention the fact that she was honorary babysitter.

"So anyway. I don't think that Sesshomaru will care if I don't come back. Rin will miss me, but that can't be helped. But I think that the jewel will be safest here, and so will other things. And I will get to spend more time improving my skills and stuff so I'm ready when the change happens. I'm not ready to go back yet. I'll stay and get stronger, then go back and search without any protection for the king. That way, I won't have to meet any of them again." She said the last part slowly as if she didn't really believe it herself. When she turned to look at her friends they all looked somewhat shocked and upset, except Ru-Chan. She had a strange look on her face, the kind that said 'are you sure, cause I know better and this is gonna hurt.' If it were any of the others Kagome would have thought of it as teasing, but Ru-Chan looking like that scared her. She didn't want to see any of the others ever again. She couldn't be with them and smile anymore. She didn't want to go back to suffer. Ru-Chan was almost smiling, and that was terrifying.

The evening passed without much other importance, but Kagome was sad when it was over. She had enjoyed the chance to be with her friends again and did not want to go back through the well. She had to leave before the others so she could get up early and go back to say goodbye. As she looked back over her shoulder at her friends she smiled and thought of the beginning of it all. While the world around did not know them in any way other than Tohru Honda, Seto Kiaba, Serenity Wheeler, and Robin Sena, she would know them as they truly were. With that thought she left.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Okay, here's the poll. Please vote this time.

Inuyasha

Fullmetal Alchemist

Witch Hunter Robin

Wish

Yu-Gi-Oh


	9. I'm too lazy to give a real name

Ru-Chan: I'm ticked, really ticked. All of you following this story had better send a great big thank you to Sailor Ra and Sesshomaru828. Sailor ra made this chapter possible and sesshomaru828 consitently reviews. I would like to thank the others who have reviewed my story namely Laesk Light, Yuki, Yuna Sakura, Shadow, Alphonse Elric, Nova, mystlady, and mya. thank you for your comments. Here's the deal. I don't care what chapter you review, and I don't care if you hate it and tell me that. I WANT to know that. But I do not update any of my stories until I have at least one review. I am going to post another story even thoguh only one person voted in my poll. I do tyr and reward those who dedicate themselves to telling others what they think. I do not like to threaten my readers, and I would be willing to bet that some of you are angry at me for telling you you have to review. I am sorry that you are angry, but if you like this tell me. If you hate this tell me. I WANT to update for you, I like writing. But tell me what you think please!

Joe: Sorry for her ranting, here's the chapter. Hope you like it.

* * *

Kagome slept soundly that night, finally in her own bed. The feel of clean sheets and a soft mattress were wonderful. He flicked her alarm clock on so she could get out early the next day. She had prepared a bunch of food to give Rin and it was all ready and waiting downstairs in the kitchen. Now all she had to do was wait.

When her alarm went of the next morning Kagome and to will herself out of bed. She never woke up this early to go to school, so it was a new concept for her. She changed and went downstairs to pack everything into her bag. She did not grab her usual yellow bag, but a smaller one next to it. The little bag was white with a wolf embroidered on the side, tilting its head back and howling toward the moon. It was one of her favorite possessions along with her knife and a few other things. She had actually embroidered the wolf on it herself.

Taking the bag with her she went into the kitchen and gathered all of the food she had made. After putting it in the bag she felt a nagging at the back of her mind to throw a first aid kit in as well, so she did, with plenty of extra bandages. She listened to the voices in her head more often now since they proved themselves to not only be good advice givers, but also had a slight insight into the future.

When she had grabbed a few extra outfits thanks to the voices in her head, and on her own second thought a few even smaller bags, she walked out to the well. Taking a deep breath and praying that no one she did not want to meet was on the other side she jumped down. Landing on the other side she listened intently for voices. Hearing none she climbed out of the well. The nice thing about the smaller bag was that it weighed less and carried more. Ru-Chan had given it the nice feature of opening to a different closed dimension. She had done the same thing to many of Kagome's bags and those of the others. It made things more convenient. Kagome set off in the direction of campground that had been set up a ways off to keep any unwanted visitors from knowing that Sesshomaru was around (three guesses who).

Upon reaching the campground Kagome met an unpleasant surprise. It was empty and nothing had been erased to show they had not been there. The wind shifted and Kagome caught a pungent scent on the air. She dashed off the direction of the smell, worried. Reaching it she found a battleground, the trees splashed with blood and a great pool of the red stuff not far from where she was standing. That was when she noticed footprints of blood heading off into the woods in two directions, one seeming half dragged, the other upright. Sniffing at the half dragged ones Kagome set her face and started to follow them. At different intervals there were splashes on trees and rocks to show were someone had rested. The blood was old and drying, giving her an idea of when the battle happened.

She suddenly broke through a clearing and breathed and inner sigh of relief. She had found Sesshomaru and the others, but Rin was not hurt and Sesshomaru was on his way to healing. From the look on his face when she ran into the clearing his pride was hurt more than anything. Kagome noted a slash running from his right shoulder down his chest and gash on his left arm. Smaller cuts were healing quickly and the wound on his arm was alright, but she pulled out her first aid kit anyway as she sat down next to him.

"Jaken, on the other side of those trees is another small clearing with flowers. Take care of Rin for a little while and if anything happens to her I will personally make sure that you are the first ferryman to be taken in by one of his own." The frog demon squawked his protest at first but pulled Rin, who had been sitting quietly by Sesshomaru, to the other field.

"I do not need nor want you to order my servant around."

"Then you should have done it yourself. Now take off your fluff and your shirt (don't complain about "shirt" just go with it). I'll fix up your arm and chest."

Normally Sesshomaru would have argued, but she was not flirtatious and he was tired and for some reason his wound on his chest would not close up the right way. He merely did as he was told. Kagome noticed right away that the chest wound wasn't closing, but it being the longer job decided to do the arm first. Wrapping in a bandage set it right for the moment. Not sure of what was keeping the chest wound open, Kagome decided not to take any chances. She pulled out a fine needle and put it through her shirt sleeve so she would not lose it. Then she pulled out one of the smaller bags she had brought with her. From it she took a roll of what looked like very thin black thread. Starting at the bottom she worked her way up with small stitches. When she had finished she wrapped it in bandages and said she was done. It was then that she noticed the demon had fallen asleep. She smiled crookedly at the thought that the demon lord had exhausted himself so much. Then she frowned. She did not know what had done this, but it was dangerous. She knew how strong Sesshomaru was, and for something to have damaged him at all was a problem, but it seemed obvious that he had bee n the loser of that battle. She needed to find out what had happened. Rin and Jaken were still busy, so she left.

When she got back almost an hour later Sesshomaru was still asleep and Rin and Jaken were still in the other field. She started to build a fire and bring out some of the food she had brought.

Sesshomaru woke a little after she had started to the smell of cooked meat. He put his shirt and fluff back on, then got up a disappeared for a little while. Just after he let Rin came back and the two ate while Jaken grumbled about watching the small child. Sesshomaru returned, his shirt clean of any blood and still a bit damp from its recent washing. Finally night fell and Rin and Jaken went to sleep.

"You took your time coming back. We should leave soon; I have no intention of putting Rin in danger by staying. We should not have come. You had best be ready to come back here on your own next time."

Kagome sighed out loud and leaned against a nearby tree, playing with her hair. "You're in no condition to travel. The wind has shifted and I took care of the thing that attacked you. It wasn't hard after what you did to it earlier and I caught him by surprise, so I don't want any comment on it. I do think we should move further away from the village until your better. Then I can go home and have no problems. I came back to tell you that I'm leaving and have no intention of coming back, not at least until I can get around on my own. If I come back I don't want anyone hurt trying to follow me. I would like it if you didn't tell Rin. She wouldn't take it all too well."

Sesshomaru merely nodded. He was puzzling over what the girl had said. She had beaten the monster that had come at him the night before, which was incredible. She had stretched what he had done to the thing considerably, and the thing most likely healed itself already. She had also said she would come back when she could take care of herself. Her miko powers could have done something, but how would she develop them in her world. It did not add up, and Sesshomaru intended to find out something before she left.

Kagome worried about the demon sitting on the other side of the fire. He said little but that meant nothing about what he was thinking. Set-Chan was the same way, and when Ru-Chan and she had snuck in they found out some interesting things. Kagome considered looking into the demons mind, but thought better of it. No reason to leave any piece of her linked to this world at all.

Inuyasha sat in a tree outside the village where he had used to stay and wait for Kagome to get back (It's like two days later, and Kagome and the others moved deeper into the forest). They had gotten back to find that Kagome had not passed through, but several powerful demons had been seen wandering the woods. Whoever Kagome had gotten to protect her was not going to be good enough. It was over. Staring at the night sky Inuyasha drifted over his memories. He did it subconsciously, wishing to stop but not being able to once it all began. The last memory hurt he most, her running, right after they had found her she went away again. He did not know what had happened, but he wished he could have found so he could have at least thanked her properly for what she had done. He fell into dreams eventually and spent the rest of the night on wings of misery traveling over the land of memory.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Here are the results for the poll. I'm still holding it if you have any ideas. Sorry for the rant, but there will be no new chapter till I get a review. End of story. I hope not literally. 

Voting results:

Inuyasha: 1

Fullmetal Alchemist:

Witch Hunter Robin:

Wish:

Yu-Gi-Oh:


	10. Stories of our Past

Ru-Chan: Thanks to Sesshomaru828 for reviewing this first. Sorry I couldn't update sooner, I've been trying to get the next chapter ready for Seal my Soul (my other story), because I'm not ahead on that story. In the next chater I think I give some info that wil be helpful to all you readers, but it may be the one after that. The story Kagome tells is mine, please don't take it.

Bob: Now for the chapter.

* * *

It took a few weeks, but finally Sesshomaru healed. Kagome was sad to have to leave the young girl that traveled with the demon, but she knew it was time to go home. She had not told Rin that she was leaving yet, but decided on the last day that it was time. They were camping for the night before Kagome managed to pluck up the courage. 

"Sesshomaru, I'm leaving in the morning and going home. You're better, and I need to get back soon if everything is to go well."

"You're really leaving then." Kagome was shocked to see that he looked surprised that she had meant what she said. Rin's reaction was only as expected.

"You can't leave Gome-Chan. Who will tell me a story before I sleep, and who will help me make Jaken pretty?" The little girl pouted so prettily it broke Kagome's heart.

"I'm sorry Rin, but I have to go home. I have a family who worries about me, and now that I have what I came for I don't need to stay anymore. I have friends at home too who need me to help them. Now go to sleep. I won't be here when you wake up, so now it is time for goodbye." The excuses sounded terrible even after she had tried to make them sound sincere. She could almost feel the bile rising as she thought of how terrible she was being to the poor girl.

"Story first, one last story. Please?"

Kagome could not refuse, it was the least she could do. She thought for a moment than asked, "Do you know what fairytales are?" When the girl shook her head Kagome explained. "They are all about happy ever after and a delicate princess being saved by a handsome and strong prince, and the prince or hero will often save everyone else's too. But I'm not going to tell you a fairytale Rin. I'm going to tell you a story about real life, okay. I'm going to tell you a legend." Rin nodded eagerly as she lay down.

_A long time ago there was a kingdom with two princesses in it. They were from one family of princesses from that land and that year they had been chosen to go to another land and marry two princes from that land. They were very young, the oldest only being ten, practically an infant compared to the years that they could live. But they had a journey they had to complete. The other kingdom held a power that kept the land together. Without it every kingdom would fall. The older sister was going to wield that power because it was tradition that someone from their land would go to do it. The younger sister was going to marry the second son so that good relations would be even stronger in the families._

_When they arrived the ruler of the land greeted them warmly and took care of them for some years. When the oldest was sixteen, she was considered to have learned enough to be introduced into the power. Both the sisters had made friends with the two sons, each with the older and the younger respectively, just as their parents had wished, so there would be good relations if it worked out, but things could get ugly if the powers did not accept the princess. All of the family and the two princesses stood to watch as the queen handed the power to the older sister. As the queen drew her hand away everyone held their breath. Moments passed, but the power did not glow. The king roared and the older sister sunk to her knees. As she dropped the power flew out of her hands and was sent on a crash course to reach the floor._

_Suddenly, the younger sister darted forward and dived to catch the power. She caught it and just before she hit the ground a bright light emitted from the power. When it faded away there was no sign of either princess or power._

_The kingdom went into an uproar. The king searched for a year for the princess, but soon gave up. No one could locate the power and the younger sister's scent was lost to even the most powerful demons known throughout the realm. He soon reconciled himself to the fact that the kingdom was doomed. It was his younger son that convinced him to keep searching, that if the kingdom was to fall, there was nothing else he could do and it was weak to give up. So he sent out a search again._

_The people in this era lived very long lives. The king searched for one hundred years before once again giving up. His kingdom was already falling into pieces of darkness, some of which would not return. Again the son came to his father, only this time he told his father that the older sister could track her younger one through her mind. She had not been able to find her until just recently. It was not time to run away yet. So this time the king sent out the older princess with the search party. The young princess was found at the base of a mountain that was said to belong to warriors and renegades who guarded the mountain path which was a path to the realm of the gods. She was brought back to the king where she presented him with the power that she had kept safe for the last hundred years. The kingdom began to prosper once more, but something was wrong. The princess demanded that she be allowed to practice fighting with the boys. She was refused, even though she proved to be able to do all the things that her sister could, some of them better than her sister._

_One day she walked out into the courtyard where the princes were training and pulled a sword out from her back. It was a powerful sword, one that would mark her for all time. She fought the king and won. After that she was granted the right to fight. She played the part of mercenary for the king in her free time, weeding out the darkness that tried to stay planted in the land. As she went on one of these missions, she met a man and his twin brother that had been taken prisoner by the darkness. When she saved them she brought them back to the palace where they worked for the king. The two were opposites, the soft spoke one soon falling for the older princess and the more aggressive twin instantly desiring the younger one. But the princesses were still promised to the sons of the king, and friendship had grown into deep affection on both sides._

_So the twin brothers disappeared mysteriously one day, and when they came back they brought with them the remnant of the darkness and its army. They had wanted to spare the princesses, but the darkness could not have the ones who could wield the power survive. A terrible attack was held at the palace. And it fell, as was told before. The princesses died with the princes in most terrible ways, the older sister was cut down as she held the older brother who had taken an arrow for her. And the younger sister was pinned under the younger brother to a tree by a black arrow shot by the younger twin. The king died getting the queen into the palace and to the power. When she had it, she called upon its powers to send all of them into the future. She had been instructed by the queens of the planets on what to do when this happened, and so they were sent forwards to meet again in a different life. But Fate has a way of messing with things, and so a trick was played and the twins were saved through time to wait the return of the ones they loved._

When Kagome had finished Rin let out a slow breath, then closed her eyes and fell asleep. Kagome went and leaned up against a tree. She had not meant to tell that story. The first time she had heard it she had had waking dreams, terrifying and heartbreaking. Now, she only dreamed about it in her sleep, but it was just as painful. She forced back tears and willed herself to keep a straight face. She could not lose composure, not now. Though, she almost laughed at the bitter thought, it would not matter when she woke screaming after tossing and mumbling in her sleep later where the mumbling was too often too understandable. The thought of Sesshomaru listening to her submit to one of the greatest weaknesses of humans removing any good opinion he currently had of her made her heart hurt. She was not sure why, she did not like him the way she had liked Inuyasha, but she wanted him to think well of her. She almost wanted him to miss her when she left. She shook her head trying to clear her mind, though after those thoughts she was almost sure she had lost it.

"So, you really are leaving tomorrow. Feh, I didn't think a human like you could survive on your own out here. Tell me how you plan to get back to the well carrying the Shikon Jewel with you. You will be hunted down by every demon nearby. Not to mention when you get close enough to the well, the priestess will sense it, and so will the mutt face."

If he noticed she cringed slightly at his last words he said nothing, simply waiting for her answer in whatever form it may come.

"I'll run fast, jump fast, and pray for a miracle. Hopefully my scent will be off so if they are close that at least won't give me away, and if I use the jewel along the way I can leave traces of its power behind so that they have a harder time trying to find me. But that's only if they're around. Now, I have to leave early, so goodnight."

"Goodnight Kagome."

She paused briefly at the sound of her name, but just finished rolling over and pulling her blanket over her. She woke twice that night, but she managed both times not to scream. When she left the next morning, Sesshomaru was no where to be seen, but she could feel his presence nearby. She left quietly, placing a small package by Rin just before she turned and ran, hoping to never have to look back.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Hope you liked it. Please vote for the poll. YOu can find it in the previous chapter. I want to write more stories. 

Bob: Please reveiw.


	11. Training

Ru-Chan: ACCCKKKKKK! This is the last chapter in my document manager... should I be evil and cut it in half and make you wait... NAH. thanks to the people who reviewed me. I feel so loved all of a sudden.

Bob: Who do you think you're kidding.

Ru-Chan: Beware the cruelty of my imagination

Bob: fliches

Ru-Chan: Heres chapter 11. Hope you likes it! And there is a VERY IMPORTANT authors note at the bottom. Please read it for your own good. It explains the reasoning behind the maddness in my head that I am giving to you.

* * *

It was not even midday when Kagome reached the well. She felt a familiar presence drawing near and jumped into the well quickly, praying that no one would be able to cross with out part of the jewel in their dimension. Climbing out on the other side of the Gate she headed into her house to be greeted with lunch followed by a hot bath and a long nap. This was followed by dinner and a quick study session before she went to bed to be ready for school the next day. When her alarm went off Kagome got out of bed grudgingly and got dressed for school. She went downstairs, ate breakfast, and ran out the front door yelling goodbye to her mother and grandfather (see note at bottom part i).

As she arrived at school she was glad to be met by a group familiar faces, despite the fact that she was only friends with one there.

"Sena-Chan how's it goin." She called out to Ri-Chan(see note part ii). The other girl smiled and turned from her brother and his friends(see note part iii) to come and talk to Kagome.

"Hey Gome-Chan, Rei-San and the others aren't here yet. I'm glad to see you're okay. When we couldn't sense you a few days ago we began to worry, but Ru-Chan said it was all good."

"Yeah, I had some things that turned up suddenly that I had to take are of, but I'm fine."

"What things? Did you run into… you know… them?"

"Nah, it was a chaos creature that had been feeding off of the demons near the palace sight. It was kinda nasty, but ever since I tapped my powers I can deal with stuff like that."

"What chaos creature?" That was Rei-Chan, with an angry look on her face followed closely behind by the other senshi of the night sky(see note part iv). "I thought Lady Cat had said she had taken care of them."

"I think that she might have said they were taken care of meaning that she might not be doing it but that there was no problem at all."

"So quick to her defense aren't you Kagome, well not that it really matters, but I am in charge of this whole operation because of my divination skills and I just want to make sure that no one is tying to interfere."

Kagome nodded and Rei. Then the bell rang and all of the girls headed to their classes for the day. After school, Kagome rushed over towards Ru-Chan's school to see if she could catch the girl before she was too far towards home. Luck was with her, or her stamina was better, either was she caught up with the girl just in time.

"Tohru-San, hold up. I need a quick word, do you mind."

Unfortunately for Kagome, Ru-Chan was walking home with the two Sohma she lived with, but Kagome could deal with that today.

"Could you wait for just a second please? This is my friend Kagome-Chan. We'll only be a minute." The orange haired Kyo just nodded, frowning. Yuki said they would wait and smiled. Tohru walked over a little was so they could talk in private. "You wanna know when the next meeting is don't you." A nod confirmed this. "We're supposed to meet at Harry's this afternoon as soon as Kiaba can get off work. It's just to chat and bring everyone up to date mostly, but we're also discussing training for enlightenment and such. So, see you as soon as I can get home, grab a change of clothes and head back out." Kagome bid her friend goodbye and started towards Harry's.

When she arrived at Harry's she found Rin-Chan already there. Kagome smiled and ordered the usual. Not long after they were joined by Set-Chan, Ru-Chan, and Ri-Chan. The meeting started and everyone just talked about how things were going. There was no big news except for Kagome's story of the Chaos creature, so they got around to the important stuff pretty quickly. They chose this meeting time because no one was at the bar who would talk. Harry never asked questions and kept secrets well enough if he ever heard anything.

"I think its time the real reason we're here is brought up. I've had a talk with Rei-San, and she wants us to train more. We figured that we'd start with Gome-Chan because she had the least time to practice." Ru-Chan spoke carefully and quietly, but clear enough that her friends understood her. "I found a dimension that will be perfect for it. The time balance is off so one day on this side is three years on the other side. I'll spend the first year/ 1/3 day with Gome-Chan teaching her some stuff she needs to know. Then I'll let her out in the rest of the world and she'll have to survive on her own for a while, two and 2/3 days our time. She's out of place with that world, so she won't age, but will get the chance to be ready. Nothing too hard is out there, it's just for basic survival and self help stuff. She'll probably be best at it because of previous travels."

The others nodded in agreement and Kagome consented after a slight cringe. Spending the equivalent of nine years in training would help her greatly when she came back, and it also meat she could start her search earlier than expected. She had hoped that she might have had the time for the others to forget her first, but she would take what she would get. Maybe, if she was lucky, she would simply forget them. Training with Ru-Chan would take all of her mindset, the girl was bloody fast dangerous even in a sparing match. Kagome would have to forget the entire world around her.

"I also wanted to teach you the languages while we were there. You wouldn't be able to learn all of them, some are gifts that you frankly don't have. You already know your own native tongue, but I can teach you the universal one and several others like the ones that belong to the native planets. Rei-San might not like it, but you need to know how to speak with others. You can also learn the dialects for your native tongue and hold private conversations at times. You have everyone in you, while the one you will look for will only know dog and wolf. It will be easier to end secret messages out to me if you need to as well."

At this Kagome got excited. Ru-Chan knew all of the languages spoken throughout the universe. Kagome only knew the proper dialect for the world beyond the Well Gate. She would be glad to know how to speak to all the demons there without leaving any information to prying ears.

The group stayed and talked of when the others would train, then it grew late and one by one they left. Kagome walked home with Ri-Chan talking of family matters and such. When they reached Ri's house they bid each other farewell and the girl walked to her door. Suddenly she stopped and turned.

"You know, you really should try to think of the Gate and going back while you're training. And don't forget your other friends. They need you, and you haven't given them up yet. It may hurt, but you need them."

Kagome waved her friend off and when the door closed shook her head sadly. Ri was wrong this time, Kagome told herself. She just needed to stay out of this one. This time she was wrong. But another nagging part in the more rational part of Kagome's head said that Ri knew what she was talking about, and it would be hard to let everything just go.

* * *

AUTHORS NOTE

Okay, some of you may have noticed that if you want to understand you need to read this part. Here's how it goes. I don't want to have to explain things in my story, cause that just takes to long and may confuse you more. Here I have some answers to some questions you might have and just some general info so that you're not confused later.

i) I am not completely sure yet, but I don't think you will see much of Kagome's family at all. I will mention them in passing because they do exist, but if you want to know more about them find a good character profile online. They are not important to the story, I think. I had some ideas, but they were kinda lame and meant more boring work, so I don't think I will do them. Do not expect to meet anyone in the family.

ii) You see this when Kagome talks to Serenity and Tohru. In a nutshell, Ri-Chan in Serenity's name when any of her special friends want to talk to her without giving away that she is part of the special group. Why, cause Kiaba is in it, and we all know how Kiaba and Joey get along. And if we don't, it is not very well. Tohru Honda is a nice sweet innocent ditz to most of those who know her. It is an image she needs to maintain. The second nickname or use of the first name makes it look almost normal. Just them trying to keep profile, that's all. They also have correlating names to protect their identities when they work for Kiaba as his secretaries. You you'll see this later, but pretty much this is all you need to know: Kiaba is Dragon, Robin is Phoenix, Tohru is Cat, Kagome is Wolf, and Serenity is Nymph. I have more names for them, but knowing the above info will help you understand.

iii) I am making up places, but I don't have time to explain them, and you want to hear a story. Basically, I am going to set this in my made up version of Tokyo. I don't care what's really there, but there is no way you would find a Sohma living in Domino City, so they all live in Tokyo. In my first version, only Serenity lived here, but I've changed things to make them easier on you. Time flows weird too, so if you notice that 20 odd months have gone by and I haven't announced the year mark, don't tell me. I don't care. Just go with it. They're in Tokyo, and everyone goes to the same school except Robin who has special permission to work and Kiaba who has the same privilege but can go to school if he feels like hanging out with Kagome instead of listening to business talk.

iv) Sailors of the Night Sky are the original sailor senshi. They are special, why, because they're not from earth. They are the sailor moon gang, and Rei has been given a special assignment because she can see the future and talk to some very important people who are as good as dead at the moment. Serena lacks this skill and so she handed the job to Rei, who takes it very seriously. Also, understand that the senshi of the night sky are the sailor senshi, but for the purpose of this story, there will be somesenshi on earth that are male and will stay male and so the scouts from earth are not sailor senshi, but guardians of the dimensions, which I will explain later in my story. Confusing, I know. It is my head.

If you are confused, review and tell me. If you have any others questions review and tell me. If you have any ideas review and tell me. If you are totally lost especially when it comes to Robin, please watch a series or two of anime. It would be best if you watched Inuyasha, Sailor Moon, Witch Hunter Robin, Yu-Gi-Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to watch Full Metal Alchemist. There will be others, but those are the biggies. If you don't think that you can remember this, I give my readers permission to copy and paste the AUTHORS NOTE ONLY! Keep reading,

Ru-Chan

Bob: Sorry for the rantish style of the author's note. She's been worried that you would get lost though. Review, and there will be a longer chapter next time.


	12. What is going on?

Ru-Chan: I'll make this short because I have not updated in a while. Sorry for he wait, but I'm getting behind. Hopefully I'll get sick and have to do nothing but type all day sometime soon so I can catch up. Sorry for the long rant last time.

Bob: New chapter, go read.

* * *

Kagome looked up for the dirt and spat what of it that had made it into her mouth back onto the ground where she had once thought it belonged. Now, training with Ru-Chan had taught her otherwise. There was no better place to store dirt than in her mouth when she hit the ground after being thrown seventy feet into the air. Somehow, she could never quite stop Ru from getting her over the hip and into the sky. It was embarrassing in some ways, but in others it was totally expected. Half the time Ru taught her how to fight and how to fight clean or dirty. The rest of the time, they sparred to see who would hunt for dinner while the other napped. Ru always won. Kagome desperately hoped that Rei would never find it necessary to get rid of Ru because Kagome knew that eventually she would have to fight the girl, and it was not comforting to know that in sparring the girl was holding back.

Ru was not like the others who took orders from Rei. She obeyed what she thought would benefit her, and did nothing else. Kagome often worried for her powerful friend. The girl had no direction, only knew that she would be what Fate did not want. If Fate ever wanted her to become a nice weak person who never hurt anything, well Kagome did not even want to consider it. Rei did not like that Ru never listened to her. She wanted the girl to stop trying to get in the way all the time. Kagome shook her head and found herself back in the dirt, and wondered if she should just start eating it instead of hunting. It would make everything much easier. Silently she scolded herself for letting Ru get the better of her while she thought too much. She had to clear her mind, clear it all away. Maybe then she ache in her heart would leave too. Ever the stubborn one, she refused to admit that Ri had probably been right all along.

* * *

Sesshomaru looked at Rin and shook his head. The girl was begging him to go and get Kagome back so they could be a family again. Seeing that the girl was on the verge of trying to cry so that she could get anything from him that she wanted, he did something that he had never done before. He turned and walked passed her, and ruffled her hair. She looked at him silent and gaping, but he did not turn back around. Closing her mouth, she followed silently. Sesshomaru would not go back and get the girl. He did not need her, he did _NOT_ need her…

Inuyasha gazed into the distance, trying to reach out with his senses and smell his target. He had left that morning to visit the well. He did not know why, but he had to. When he got there, he smelled her, Kagome. And she had been there recently, which surprised him greatly. He followed her scent and was surprised when he ran into a clearing covered in blood. He followed that scent to and other clearing and met something that scared him. Sesshomaru's scent. It was fairly fresh and Kagome's scent was all over the clearing as well. He made out two other scents, one he thought to be Jaken, and one other that was human, but he had never smelt before. He ran through all the scents in his mind, slowly then quickly. As he went faster the scents merged together and he nearly gagged. It smelt the same as when they had found the village. Had the two of them really been together for that long? He had followed the scent along a path for a good time now, hoping to catch up with the demon and see if Kagome was still with him. He pushed aside all thoughts that she may not be alive anymore.

Running down the path he found Sesshomaru's scent getting stronger. He sped up. Faster and faster he went until the stench was overwhelming.

He broke through the trees to find Sesshomaru standing there with a little girl beside him. Inuyasha was slightly surprised, but gained his composure quickly and drew his sword.

"Where's Kagome?"

Sesshomaru stood silent and still.

"I said where's Kagome!" He lashed out suddenly and Sesshomaru dodged easily. He lashed out again and Sesshomaru moved. In anger and frustration he slashed out behind him blindly where Sesshomaru had moved towards. As he turned he saw raven hair and green eyes and realized his mistake a moment to late. He could not stop his sword. A clang of metal rang through the air and Inuyasha found himself looking into Sesshomaru's livid eyes.

"_Baka!_" he hissed, his words filled with venom. "Insubordinate, careless, foolish, stupidest thing. _BAKA_."

Inuyasha was stunned. The most proud demon lord he had ever known was taking care of a human girl. A human _child_ girl. Without warning Sesshomaru struck and the half demon had no time to respond. He continued to slash at Inuyasha who only managed to defend against a few of the hits.

"Sesshomaru," The little girl called out to the demon, fear in her eyes. "Lord Sesshomaru."

The raging demon stopped to look at the little girl but stood sideways to view his opponent on the ground. The pleading look in her eyes meant nothing to Inuyasha, but Sesshomaru put his sword away and picked the little girl up. Then, without any explanation, he walked away Jaken following behind him.

Inuyasha stood and swaggered over to a tree to brace himself. He was cut up all over and could not see straight. He slumped down against the tree and closed his eyes, trying to rest. He would not be able to make it back to the village in this state, so he would have to wait for someone to find him.

* * *

Kirara looked at her friends, debating whether or not to search for the missing half demon. Kikyou argued fiercely that he was getting himself into trouble while Sango and Miroku tied to point out that the failure of the search had left him downhearted and he needed time to think through everything. Kirara however was on Kikyou's side. He was not the most rational person and since none of them knew where he was anymore the chance was high that he was in trouble of some sort. Kirara sighed to herself and went up to Shippo. In this state, he was the only one she could talk to.

"What is it?"

She mewed a few times and he nodded to show his understanding.

"Kirara says that we should at least look for him, we don't have to talk to him when we do. She can sniff him out and we know he went toward the well."

The others seemed to accept this and followed the two demons to the well. From there Kirara followed the scent of Inuyasha and noticed it followed another scent. Kagome's. She worried about that. It was not until they reached the clearing with blood that she truly began to worry. She followed the scent to a second clearing and found the lingering traces of Kagome and … Sesshomaru. Kirara broke into a run. If Inuyasha had gone after his half brother then something bad was bound to happen. She could hear the others behind her yelling to slow down, but she could not. If he killed his brother, if he found out what had happened. Neither prospect was pleasant.

She followed the path and smelt blood. Running even faster she soon found the tree with Inuyasha underneath. She breathed a sigh of relief. There was no other body, so Sesshomaru must have gotten away.

The others collected their friend and asked Kirara to carry him. She transformed (I have no idea what else to called it. The getting bigger thing…) and let them set Inuyasha on her back. Halfway back he woke and mumbled something inarticulate, though everyone there could have sworn at one point he said _human girl_. They got him back to the village and bandaged him up, then left him to rest. Kirara sat watch while wondering if he had really seen a human girl. Perhaps things were moving faster than had been anticipated after all. She walked over to him and laid her head on his forehead, sniffing the air to make sure no one was around. A soft glow filled the hut for a moment and when it was gone so was the human girl that Inuyasha had seen earlier. Kirara curled up for a nap.

* * *

Kagome strode through the woods not making a sound on the dry leaves. She had followed the deer for some time now and was starving. It stopped by a pond and she leapt. It was over in a few seconds, blood on her knife and clothing as she watched the animal twitch a few times before it died. Then she slung it over her shoulders and carried it back to camp. Ru-Chan skinned it and cooked it, Kagome was simply too tired. After they ate they went to sleep. Neither bothered to keep watch any more. It had been established long before that they were the top of the food chain. One glance from either of them sent animals running.

Kagome was looking forward to the next day, despite the fact that they would both wake early. The day would begin with a language lesson where her sore muscles would sit still for a few hours till dawn, and then they would get breakfast and begin fighting lessons for the day. They would end the day sparing and getting dinner. Lunch was sporadic and did not always happen. But Kagome was content, and she was learning. And every night without Ru-Chan's knowledge she put her memories to a place where they would not distract her from her goals. She would not be weak anymore.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Sorry again for the last long rant. Any questions don't be afraid to ask. I'll try to be ready to update sooner this time.

Joe: Review please!


	13. Change

Ru-Chan: Sorry, it's taking me forever to update due to lack of free time and a develpoment of writers block. I will be updating my other story next, so it will take a while.

Bob: Please forgive the delay, she's trying. R&R.

* * *

How long had it been since she had not felt the abnormal flow of time. Staring at the sky Kagome vaguely remembered her purpose in having spent so much time on her own training. She remembered Ru-Chan and the others, but some things just danced out of her memory. She pushed them away for fear they might lead her to pain and sorrow. She could not afford to be weak anymore. The tantalizingly painful words of Ri-Chan filled her mind. Ru-Chan's stubborn saying struck her guilt more. "It's not okay to forget anything, ever. We submit to true weakness then." She did not care if it was weakness to forget, it made her stronger to leave it all behind. Now, standing in front of her friends, she said goodbye to them for a longer time. Three days was not long to them, but the nine years she had spent relatively had been lonely. Only, she would have to put aside the loneliness to be strong again.

She went through the Well Gate again. Arriving on the other side she hurried away quickly. Letting the speed of her movement not leave any trail behind she sped off. When she was far enough off she stopped and started to walk. Dressed in black pants and a silver shirt she was quite a spectacle, so she stayed off the main road. Days passed in her quiet reverie. She thought nothing but of what she was looking for, and so she continued onward determinedly toward her role in Fate.

* * *

The breezes carried her scent toward him. But she had hardly been gone a week. What was she doing back so soon? Had she tapped into some strange inner power that led her to be powerful so soon? He did not want her back, no matter how much Rin cried about it, he did not need her. Not now and not later. He would never need her. He pressed on in no particular path, trying to move beyond the thoughts that plagued his mind.

_You may not need her, but you want her. Not as your own, but your own to protect. You want her like you care for the little girl beside you. You want to know she's safe. You worry that she is broken because of what she has seen and has gone through. She trusted you without a second thought and I fed off that trust._

Sesshomaru shook his head. Recently, he had found that his soul had its own voice. His heart was still sleeping, but his soul craved the purity in that girl, the same purity he found in Rin. He enjoyed her company because she was everything he could ever go back and be. His heart had fallen asleep so long ago…

* * *

Kagome watched bemusedly from above. The demon she was following had left his small human companion in a camp under the care of the small green ferryman. He was out hunting and she had decided to follow him. He could not smell her, but she could smell him. It was a familiar scent. She shook her head and dropped, allowing herself to make a soft _wump_ noise as she hit the ground. The demon spun and stopped mid way through pulling his sword in shock.

"_You!_" he whispered.

She cocked her head, confusion on her face. Did she know him? She had thought he was familiar, but she had pushed back so much in her training…

* * *

Sesshomaru was stunned. He had turned, had acknowledged his knowing her, and she had looked confused at his recognition. He felt his soul shift, trying to understand the sudden lack of contentment at her presence. It was gone, he realized. He had locked up his heart so that he could be stronger. She could not do that with her memory so fresh, and she did not want to remember ever so that it would get in the way. So it was gone, even her time with him. _She couldn't trust us after all_.

Sesshomaru felt empty all of a sudden. He had nothing left. He had Rin, but he had always felt her dedication was part of her feeling of obligation to stay with him because he had saved her. This girl had trusted him and cared for him, but had followed of her own accord. It was different than he had expected to end in all honesty. He had thought that he would just get over it over time, that lack in his substance for the soul. But her forgetting him because he would be her weakness.

That hurt more than anything.

"Never mind," he shook his head. "You're someone else."

"Who did you think of?"

"It doesn't matter. I have no intention of helping you or meeting you again. So if you could leave."

"Aren't you scared I'll go after the little girl?"

"No."

She left him behind. He finished his hunt and went back to camp wondering why he had not been able to smell her before.

* * *

She checked on the girl, but did not show herself. If the demon had thought she looked familiar, then the girl would too, and it would be more likely that she would not be able to tell the difference, which would mean questions. But she wanted to see the girl again because she felt a calm when she saw her.

* * *

Inuyasha sat and wondered. There had been Sesshomaru, and there had been Jaken, and Sesshomaru had called him stupid, had been more than angry. But Inuyasha could not remember why. It bothered him because he knew he should remember. It felt as though someone had erased all that he had known about the reason for the fight. It left him confused. He decided to go look for his half brother when he was healed, but this time he would know better than to say or do something stupid. He would be cautious this time. His wounds were almost healed, he would head out in the next two days. All he had to do now was convince the others to come with him.

* * *

What do you do when all you can think about is one person that you do not really like but feel the need to protect? More importantly, what do you do when you have said person above and they do not remember you nor care for your protection and in fact mock you and threaten you when you meet. Yes, that was the question that plagued Sesshomaru as he walked with his companions through the woods in the general direction that he had felt her go towards after she had gone back to the camp. He had not worried when she went back to camp, he knew that she simply wanted to remember. He wondered why. If she knew she had forgotten then why did she leave rather than press him for answers. He had seen the vaguest hint of recognition in her eyes, so why did she not try and find answers. Or did her new power control her soul?

And why was he wondering? He should not care about her anymore. She did not want him, did not need him, felt him to be a weakness if anything. Perhaps that was it. He did not like to be thought of as a weakness to himself or to anyone else. He wanted to find her and show to her that he was the stronger of the two of them. That was all.

_You keep telling your self that if it will make you feel better. You know what you think though. You want to find that trust again, I want to find that trust again._

It must be the weirdest thing to talk to your own soul, he thought miserably. Two souls in one person is fine, but one soul talking to itself and lecturing it was one in a million chance really (anyone here ever read _Guards, Guards_ by Terry Prachet?). But he kept on walking.

* * *

Rin looked at her lord and wondered at what he was thinking. He was quiet now, again. He had not been quiet when Kagome had been there. He had spoken to her, even if it was just angry words. When he was angry at Jaken he just stared, he never said anything.

But now he would not talk to Rin anymore. He was brooding, she could see it in the way he walked and did not look, how he saw yet saw beyond, how he held that silence that only an adult can hold. The silence of contained misery, the silence that was supposed to scream strength, but radiated sadness and loneliness. Children cry, but adults need to be stronger, to support the little children who could only cry, to be the strength that the little children lacked.

So why was it that they thought a child knew nothing?

To cry, to feel, to want to cry, that was human. Only the heartless and the oppressed thought that emotion was a weakness. They locked it away to protect themselves from ever seeming weak again.

So why did they think to know everything?

They did not remember laughing for the sake of having nothing to laugh at, nor could they think back to the time when they could do anything without the thought of embarrassment. They could not remember, they were not strong enough anymore to submit themselves to the subtle joys of feeling everything and nothing and saying what they thought and what they felt. They had to please, and that meant feeling nothing but submission to their masters.

But what could a child do to get someone like Sesshomaru to open up and be happy again?

* * *

Kagome ran, not wanting to care any more. She rushed onward trying to get rid of the lingering sense of knowing and wanting everything that she had just left behind.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Hope you liked the chapter. I will update ASAP, but I am trying to write Seal my Soul too so, it may be a while. I'M SORRY!

Joe: Thanks to the reviewers, please review this chapter too!


	14. Leave

Ru-Chan: Sorry it took so long, here's the update. Be updating other story next, sorry. Hope you like this one.

Joe: R&R.

* * *

Quiet voices danced on the wind. Her heart ached for what she could not have. Pain and sorrow filled her senses with dread for what she could not see. Time flowed backwards, she was back years before, the taste of blood was in her mouth, the feel of it was on her skin, the color filled her eyes. She could not even remember how it had happened, but she swore that it would never happen again. Now she embraced her power and controlled it. So why did she taste blood.

Darkness filled her mind and physical pain engulfed her. A pain in her chest made her ache and fall to her knees. Flashes of silver and black and so much blood. Could not stop the pain, had failed to protect. But she was on her own. Not yet, was not happening yet, had to go back. Her mind and soul were one in her dreams, so which was saying to go back, and did it really even matter which was telling her. She had to go back, had to go.

Kagome woke panting heavily. She was resting on a tree branch and was quite thankful she never turned even in her nightmares. It could have been a more painful awakening. It was the third time that week she had had the dream, and every time she woke she tried to push it back to the recesses of her memory, but it never worked. She knew she had to go back and find the demon and the girl. But she had to complete her mission first. That was the most important thing. No feelings could get in the way, no matter how much the blood tasted of Chaos. No matter what.

* * *

Sesshomaru was not lost, he just could not decide where he wanted to go. And if Jaken did not stop moaning about being lost after he had already told the frog that he knew where they were he would have frog legs for dinner and the crows would have the liver. He wanted to follow her in some ways, to force her out of hiding, but he understood how weak emotions could be and had a feeling that she had not really wanted to forget.

But then he was not sure which way to go. It was no real question that he never really cared where he was going, but now it seemed important. If he followed her he may find out something important and be able to help, but he was fairly sure she had forgotten so that she would not get anyone she knew involved, she did not want help. That made her feel weak.

His thoughts were circular, but that did not make him feel better, nor did it tell him where to go. He stayed where he was for several more days, finally deciding that it would be best to leave her alone. If they met he would take advantage of it, but he still did not want to admit that he needed her. Because he did not. He needed to protect her.

_What you need is her Soul Light. She has something you cannot get from anyone else. You crave what she has and I live off of it._

He started walking and Rin followed dutifully and silently. Jaken was so caught up in his wining and moaning that he did not realize that the others had left.

* * *

Inuyasha ran ahead of the others, thinking hard. It was hard to follow his brother's trail, particularly because it was so old. But his brother was strong, and had been furious at the time, so it was not hard to track him for some time. Then he had nearly lost the trail when his brother had calmed down. Now he had lost it, and was scouting the area to see if there was any lack of demons or humanity that would show his brothers presence. But nothing was disturbed, and that disturbed Inuyasha.

He backtracked to the others and reported his findings.

"Nothing, not a sign anywhere."

The others moaned and growled in turn.

"Why is this so important anyway? I know you've never liked each other and you meetings have been less than friendly, but why hunt him down?" asked Sango. The others nodded in agreement.

"He knows something, I can't remember what, but he knows something. Something important, I'm sure. And he was angry, but he never gets angry, not to the point where he loses control like he did. I can't remember why either, and that bothers me."

The others looked at him and Kikyou finally asked, "So what will you do?"

"Ask around, someone has to have seen him. Go back to where I lost the trail and see if I can pick anything up going the other way. Not a likely chance, but it is a better one than following this trail. We have nothing better to do now anyway."

Some of his friends nodded, but the others, while understanding his point were quite content to just sit around and live the rest of their lives in peace and quiet. They wondered why he could not just do the same.

* * *

Kagome woke again, trembling this time and heaving. She could hardly breathe from the pain and the guilt, and they left traces even in her waking body. And she was cold, and lonely. She wanted to head back and help, but she had to finish her mission first. She was so close to finding it. And her instincts clamored pain and sorrow if she went back. She had to move forward.

But the pain would not go away.

* * *

Sesshomaru was nervous, and that bothered him. He never felt nervous anymore. But something, something they were moving towards was bothering him. It was far away, but he could feel its aura from here. That was what bothered him. He could feel it, but he knew that it could not be and less than a week and a half worth of good traveling away. And he could feel the presence as though it was standing next to him, which meant when he got there it would feel like one and a half weeks worth of power was being built up in one place and would overwhelm him. But he could not stop walking forward. Well, he could stop. But he could not turn around. And so he did stop.

"Rin."

"Yes."

"I need you to do something for me." The girl brightened, she was willing to do anything for him.

"Yes."

"Go back and find Jaken, and when you do I want you to find my half brother and if he does not remember you, the one that nearly killed you do you remember, then I want you to tell him that you are lost and to hide Jaken beforehand and just be a little orphan girl. If he does remember you, tell him you ran away because you were scared of me."

The little girl stared at him with mouth agape. She could not quite believe what she was hearing.

"He will take good care of you, at least I can know that. If he asks about Jaken, well, you're more creative than I am, think of something. Or get rid of him, I really couldn't care less. Wait a while and see if I come back. If I don't, just trust them, and live your life. It won't matter what happens, Jaken is not very important, but I need you to tell him not to come find me. Alright, that should be it, now go."

The girl did not move.

"I thought I told you to leave, Rin."

"Why."

"Because I don't think I can win."

He was being honest with her, and that was possibly scarier than anything.

"Then turn around and come with me." She pleaded pulling at his hand. He did not move.

"I can't. Go Rin, find shelter, I'll look for you if I can. I can always find you."

"NO!" she screamed. "NO NO NO, YOU CAN'T DO THIS, IT'S NOT FAIR… you… just… can't… leave me… behind. I don't want to be alone again."

"That's why I'm sending you to my brother. He and his friends will take care of you, they love all humans, particularly ones without family or paths. They will protect you when I don't return."

He had said don't, he had not even meant to, but something inside him recognized true power when it felt it and there was no turning back now. There is something inside each person that has the ability to recognize that it is time for the body to lay down and wait for a great black figure with a sickle. If you've been good or you're important, and you know ancient lore you might even want the figure to not be wearing a cloak but be either in armor or e female in a very peculiar outfit. Sesshomaru did not know lore and did not believe that he needed assistance to find death. It generally found you if it really cared, and if you went looking for it you were just crazy. Especially since it was not all that hard to find. Sesshomaru had seen the path cleverly disguised on all of his journeys, but this one was so blatantly laid before him he wondered how he had stepped onto it in the first place. Maybe he had been right in thinking emotions made people vulnerable. Never mind that now.

"Please?" The voice came from his hand still and he looked at the pitiful figure.

She was not showing him hers eyes, which he could not have denied, no matter how much pain it would later cause him. Rather she hung her head in rueful concession of what he would say. He did not have to say it. It nearly broke his soul. This was his last Light, the last thing that had pulled him back from death itself, he would be truly doomed if he let her go. And he did not want to.

Gently he lifted the girl and held her tightly to his chest. Then he whispered to her.

"Promise me… promise me that you will leave and you will not come back, that you will stay away from me and never hurt yourself for my sake. Don't look back, but run until you are far from this place, and find safety, if only you do it for me."

The girl was stunned, but could feel his regret and so nodded while clinging to this moment and trying to remember everything in it like Kagome had taught her, the smells, the sounds, the feelings. Then one day, she could look back and remember the shock, the stupor, and the warmth that coursed through her as she held on for one last moment to the only thing left that had been stable in her life.

He had never changed, never been loving, but had never left her. In his own quiet way he had accepted her and saved her from whatever she could have become. He had been like a brother to her more than a father. Her father and left her, he was the only thing she had had left to keep going for. And he was asking her to leave now so that he could die. It broke her heart into little shards and sent them scattering across the recesses of her happiness. She would be alone again.

No matter who he sent her to, she would be all alone again, because as much as he fed off the light of her soul, she thrived off the innocence in his own. He had never known true loss, and now when he needed her the most he was sending her away.

But she left, and she did not look back. Then she ran.

* * *

If we take this moment to drift outside the world of these people we will se a few things. One of them is many more worlds were this same thing is happening. Most of them are insignificant because they will all end very soon due to a explosion of emotion overloading and already filled soul. The mind will break and the earth will shatter.

In a few of these worlds the soul will have learned to vent and will be able to take the sadness. They majority of these worlds will end when Rin dies not long after running off and something else will destroy the world very soon. But there are a few worlds where she finds the group, and the one we have been in which we will return to shortly. But first, it is very important that I take you down a path that exists but is not well known, because in other times and places other things happen, and if we do not watch them all, they will happen without us knowing and we will not see how very lucky we are.

We are going to a world were Rin found the half demon and managed to survive the encounter. The other worlds are not important right now.

* * *

Ru-Chan: I made a reference to Rin's father in this chapter, and used what I like to call writer's liberties. I made something up for good story flow. So do not yell at me please. I'll try to update again soon.

Bob: Review please!


	15. Other World

Ru-Chan: To all you Seal my Soul readers who also read this, I'm sorry that I have not updated that one yet, but hte ideas for this chapter were coming at me and I had to get them down before I forgot. Anyway, next chpater for sure will be a Seal my Soul one. This is a short chapter cause its not highly important to the story, but I felt like I needed to write it to explain part of the world. More info in chaps to come.

Bob:Hopes to heck you like it. R&R.

* * *

We are not in the same universe. Do not forget this, or you will find yourself looking forwards and backwards in time and being called a fool by all those who have remembered.

* * *

We are in a universe were Rin made it safely to Inuyasha and lived her life without Sesshomaru coming back for her. When she arrived she found that Inuyasha did not remember her at all, but she played the part of lost orphan very well and soon found a playmate in Shippo and enjoyed life, despite the dull ache that tortured her heart. She grew, and learned to fight.

It was Sango that taught her mostly, though the others helped sometimes, mostly as sparing partners so that she could practice. Kikyou taught her how to use a bow and the girl developed a certain sense about her almost demonic, but pure in every sense. The others could not understand it, and she did not feel like explaining. Her dreams of explanation were harsh.

It was in these dreams that she saw Kagome, but her once sister figure was now cold and dark. It could not be said why, but she did not remember Rin from before, she just knew what was happening to the girl. She was special, very special.

But the content of her dreams will be explained in the other world when it is more expedient to do so and less dark. These dreams are the worst kind of nightmare and mortals are know to live them waking at one point of another, and they find those points in their lives to be the epitome of darkness and death. They are to be known only to the one who has he dream. But onward.

And then one day, she left, much in the way that Kagome had left her and the master. Just up one morning, with a small gift by those she cared for. She was older now here, 18 or so. She was tired of sitting around and following these people, they had no idea what to look for to find the master, even after all these years. She would leave them now and go to do as he said, find her own life and happiness.

* * *

A dark and lonely figure sat in a dead garden and looked over a small village. She rustled and pulled her long black hair out of her face, sitting up and looking away. She saw in her minds eye, that the girl Rin was moving again. She smiled and sent out a low sullen call. She knew the girl could not hear it, but would follow it anyway. It was a call she had perfected a very long time ago.

* * *

Rin traveled. She did not go anywhere in particular, but followed a sullen tugging in her chest. She could not give up, not now, not ever. She walked and walked and asked around to see if anyone had found him, or proof that he was dead. She would find something, something from her master.

She fought along the way, fought and did not think. She began her search in the general direction of where she had once thought herself to have run. She walked this path until she felt the need to wander aimlessly and now she followed a small tugging in her soul.

It took a time to find what pulled her, but soon she found herself on the edge of a village, and she knew she had seen this place before and she knew where she must go. And so she walked through the village and went to the dead garden on the other side.

What she saw there would have frightened her if she had not already known of its existence. It had once been a carefree and happy girl with a bright soul light. Now it was broken and torn and simply wanted to do its duty to throw off the bonds of Fate and lay to rest before the end should come. Kagome smiled at Rin and hung her head.

"You may look but you will not find, not what you think. You will break as well. You will hurt, you will suffer. But please, tell me before you go, who are you that I knew to find your power? I knew your mind why? I cannot think and touch those memories anymore, they have been sealed from me too well."

Rin looked at the figure before her and saw in the sickening waste and sorrow the love and power that lay beneath the surface. And she could not deny that voice, even if there was no power in it. It called out to her in agony suspended by the wheels of time. And so she told the broken soul in front of her of when he two of them had met and of the travels that she knew of from that point on. Things flashed in the other girls eyes, as though more than just what Rin spoke stirred beneath the surface of her eyes. She was likely to remember more.

* * *

She pointed Rin in the direction that the girl could follow in order to find the spot where last she had seen her demon master.Rin traveled the path as long as she could and then moved and adjusted based on memory. Eventually she found herself in a spot so overcome with feelings of sorrow, regret, and loss that she knew she had some to the right spot. She stared around and tried to find even the slightest indentation in the earth where something might have been years before. The steps continued onward, and a feeling of long ago dread lingered past time. She knew he had walked on. She followed the trail for some time, with only the vaguest of hopes.

The things she found at the end of the trail cannot be described with words, but leave a person with out the ability to describe anything for some time. It all seems so ridiculous compared to what you see then and there. Needless to say, there are some things in the world which will break a person, and it is sufficient to say that there are none that can survive the devastation of what they see. Rin broke.

If her heart had broken before then her soul and mind shattered now, leaving behind only an obsession to find whatever might remain of what she saw at the end of the path. Some things do not end before they brake. Fate has no desire to be kind. And a woman now sits under a dead tree, completely alone in the world at last. Those who would know her cannot find her, for they are trapped in their own devastation. She has failed, and the world will end. But not for some time yet, because Fate is angry right now because she is being cheated. And she will make the wrong choices end in the most painful way that she can so that she feels like she is still in control. But this is not true anymore, and what has happened on this world is part of it.

* * *

And now, we must move back again, back to that old world which we began in, and we see that Rin is running now, and something is going to happen. She will not live out the rest of her days searching in vain for the remainder of a soul lost forever. Because this is the world that will survive, which means that things happen here differently than anywhere else. Anywhere else, there is one person who does not look back. But in the first world there is. And it is to this world we now return.

* * *

Ru-Chan:Hope you're not confused. I basically gave one of my alternate endings to the story here, you will find I have quite a few of these. I have a purpose to this, belive it or not, becuase I will make references to "other worlds and choices" in my story, and I felt the best way to explain it was to show you. In a nutshell, every choice and possible outcome of a choice becomes a univeres of its own. the problem is you don't need that many universes to take care of when you are a higher being like Fate and Chaos. So, it was decided that there would be one right universe and that all the other ones would end when the earth was destroyed which would be inevitable if you were the wrong outcome. This chpater was explaining the events very lightly from another "wrong" universe. The one that I started the story in is the "right" universe. And Kagome and her friends are the people who change the paths of fate, particularly Tohru, but she is not a big part of this story. Review please and tell me if you ahve any questions.


	16. Broken Bonds of Memory, a Painful View

Ru-Chan: Geeze, I'm so sorry it took so long to update. I lost my story casue my computer is a piece of . Anyway, sorry again. I tried to make it extra long as an apology.

Bob: R&R.

* * *

She had to run faster or she would never make it. There was no time left, no time anymore. No matter what the cost, she had to run…

* * *

Something happened when Rin broke the trees only a few yards off. A rush of wind moved past her ear and she slammed into something solid. She looked up and would have screamed in terror if the scream had not been interrupted by a shout of sheer pain. She saw crimson and blacked out.

* * *

Sesshomaru felt the presence come closer and was nearly sick, something that had never happened before. He turned and dashed as quickly as he could into the trees. He paused only long enough to survey the scene in front of him before he charged at the downward swinging blade which was seeking to chop the small crumpled form of the girl beneath what suddenly became the two of them. Sesshomaru gritted his teeth against the pressure and tried to hold his ground but found it very difficult. He could not let this monster get through his guard. 

The thing in front of him looked very much like a man, but the emptiness in his eyes was only the beginning of the contradictions that showed quite otherwise. He was deathly pale with a short sleeved shirt and long black pants. He wore no shoes. Markings crawled up his arm in the most crude and evil looking form of writing. They squirmed up his shoulders and neck to crawl up the sides of his face and branch off at one point to worm down his cheek bones. The part that did not branch off came together at his forehead and joined in the center at an infinity mark. Judging from the fact that the markings were on his feet as well, it was deduced that they crawled up his legs and torso as well. The markings were a shade of black so deep that it could not have been called black at all, but rather be all Chaos itself. His hair was the same shade, cut just below his ears.

* * *

Inuyasha stopped and sniff the air tentatively. They had picked up the trail only a few days before, and now they were able to follow it fairly well. But something else was on the wind. The scent of blood lingered on the wind and settled around him. The others noticed that he had tensed. 

"Is he close?" came the tentative question from Shippo.

"You smell something." The definite answer came from Kikyou.

"Blood." He took off and the others followed in suit. Kirara growled in frustration.

* * *

It was not right, they should not be seeing him again so soon. A strange presence on the wind stirred her inner most senses. There was something else at work here as well. It was not Fate, but not all Chaos either. It was a dangerous presence, and yet it radiated peace. So she had decided to intervene in this case as well had she? It was a comfort in some ways. It meant that Kirara had been doing as she was supposed to. But it also meant that if she did not get there in time she would be likely be chased down by two very dangerous people. She had to run faster.

* * *

There was nothing left to do but run. But she was not running fast enough. She had to run faster, the pain would not let her stop. No matter how badly she wanted to turn back, she could not give up. Her task could wait, must. She had to run faster, there was no time.

* * *

Sesshomaru blinked in furious pain, trying to keep the blood from dripping in his eyes. He stumbled backwards, trying to keep his sword in between him and the girl and the monstrosity in front of them. It smiled, licking the blood off its lips. It seemed to have no limit, showed no signs of fatigue. Sesshomaru hissed in pain as he made the mistake of shifting sideways. Gashes of all sizes and deepness covered him along with an assortment of bruises. Movement was painful, but he had to move to stay out of the way of that deadly blade. 

His eyes shifted in and out of focus and he found a fog surrounding anything beyond three feet in front of him, which was a problem because his opponent was four feet away. The dark shape in the fog moved and Sesshomaru braced himself. He could not fall, not until he was sure she would be safe. No matter the cost.

* * *

She had to run. The faster she ran, the better the chance that they would survive. Nothing mattered now except for their safety. Nothing, not the mission, not anything. But if she did not run faster, she would never make it in time. It would hurt even worse. The never fading pain of memory.

* * *

Inuyasha and the others tried to run faster. The stench was growing, but none of them could be sure if they would make it in time.

* * *

The being licked his lips again. The demon was on the ground beneath him, still in front of the small girl. He had that determination which was the most fun to feed off of. It leaked into the air, intoxicating and invigorating. The more he struggled, the more that the creature fed. His passion for fighting only made it greater. He was not one to lose lying down. This was exactly why he got up just then and held his sword out in front of him, not bothering to cover the pain it caused him. He would be so much fun. Then the girl would be next.

* * *

Faster… not fast enough yet. Not enough time to place herself in between Fate and Death. She had to intervene, Ru's presence in her mind would not let her stand aside while her friends were in danger. Especially since Fate willed it to be so. She would run to the end of the earth if she had to. His presence was falling, the one she had seen. She had to run faster. There is no escape, no mercy, from the pain of things better off forgotten.

* * *

Sesshomaru forced himself to stand, to put himself more directly in the path of the monster in front of him, to protect the girl. There was nothing left to fight for. If he lost her, he would worse than dead. He needed the reassurance that he had tried the absolute best he could if he should die and have her life follow his. This fight had been meant to be between the two men. Not the girl he had tried to save. Several strings of human curses entered his mind, fitting themselves around the image of the monstrosity in front of him.

* * *

Death was more kind than this. She had to be faster, otherwise, it would all have been in vain. Some faces are not easily forgotten in that many a human being is likely to encounter in a lifetime. Worse is the time that followed them.

* * *

Blood was everywhere, it ruined his ability to smell if the creature chose to move behind him. He was relying on his very poor eyesight alone. He was trembling in an effort to hold off the continual attacks that came after him. He was nearly on his knees and gathering more gouges every moment. He did not know how much longer he could hold on.

* * *

The feelings were drugging the creature, she could feel them from where she was. That masked her presence, which gave her a distinct advantage in this fight. If she could just run faster, faster than anything she had ever known. If only she could fly… 

Looking down at the pathetic demon in front of him he smiled widely and brought his sword up.

* * *

Sesshomaru let his sword hang at his side. He could no longer lift it, he had no strength left to even blink properly. It took all his effort to keep his eyes open, to stay upright. He had no hope left, but he would look his demise straight on in the face. He would try to lift his sword, no matter the cost. Slowly he clenched his fist and willed with every fiber of his being his destroyed arm to move…

* * *

The creature started the downward swing, watching as the demon struggled to lift his blade. This was the end. His eyes widened in triumph. _

* * *

Now! She broke through the trees and the ringing sound of steel on steel rushed through the trees and the tiny clearing. Her sword shifted slightly under the weight, but she held her ground. _

* * *

Sesshomaru stared in amazement. How could she possibly have known, have come? It was too much. The blood loss, the fatigue. He collapsed on the ground, pleading with whoever would listen for the safety of the girl in front of him and behind him.

* * *

He stared at the girl who had interrupted his killing. Slowly he pulled back, ready to strike out again should she press forward. She backed off as well, placing herself firmly in front of the demon. She smiled wryly and looked him over carefully, her smile widening every second. She would be easy prey.

* * *

He was too smug. She decided to fix that. She swung the blade in a circle in her hand with ease.

* * *

It had been too easy, the movement of her twirling the sword. It was large, and likely to be heavy. She had also come through the clearing at an alarming speed placing the sword well. Perhaps this would be more dangerous than he thought. He frowned, and in response, she smiled wider. 

"What's your name, spawn of Chaos."

"Oh, so you know where I'm from."

"I should, I'm the one who killed Gasce."

"What's you name first."

"No, you. Or I can leave an unmarked grave." She was not being sarcastic, and he wanted to be found.

"My name is Cyrlate."

"Never you mind my name." He did not feel like pressing her at the moment. She had a delicious aura, but it was powerful. He was in danger. He dropped into a fighting stance and waited.

It was a game of patience, and one he was sure she would win. Her feelings tasted so strong, even from here. To awaken them, to taste them in her blood would be like euphoria. He could not wait any longer and charged. She caught him on an easy block and shifted slightly. He fell forward and she brought her blade up and back to slice across his face. He winced and fell forward in a tumble, turning quickly, but not soon enough. The pain was intense, but he could tell she was making him pay. She was much faster than that.

* * *

Sesshomaru woke up and winced in pain. The smell of blood was strong, but there was a slight smell that water carried hanging in the air. He felt pressure being applied to his chest and looked over. There she was, still taking care of him. Her strange ability she had shown but once before was binding up the deepest of his wounds and sending a numbing peace throughout his body. She then wrapped him in bandages. She had set his lower right leg in a splint, and he wondered at how the shattered bone had been fixed. Then he decided the pain of being awake when it happened would not have been worth it. A small hand was laid gently on his arm and he looked to his other side to see Rin with a concerned look on her face. Her right arm was in a bandage that rose to cover part of her neck, but she was alive and not too pale. 

He bit back a yell as Kagome began to set his arm and winced in pain. The small hand moved to his face. The pain was soon gone and he looked at his and the girls savior. She smiled, but it forgot to reach her eyes. He had wondered if that had been the price.

As the trees broke he spoke.

"I'm sorry." The words had barely left his lips when he noticed who had arrived.

* * *

Inuyasha stopped breathing. He did not think that he would ever be able to do so again. There was blood all over the tiny clearing, and in a spot there was a sort of monumental white stone with writing in blood on it. And in the center was Kagome with Sesshomaru and the girl that Inuyasha had somehow forgotten had nearly gotten him killed. It was the strangest thing he had ever seen in his life, and would gladly rewind several minutes backwards to miss. 

He could not speak, so he waited in apprehension for her to say something.

* * *

Kagome pulled Sesshomaru to his feet, hoping that she could stay collected long enough to get out. Sesshomaru turned and started walking away, and so Rin followed close behind him. Kagome looked back for a moment more staring with an icy coldness that Inuyahsa had not thought possible, then turned and walked with Sesshomaru. When they had gotten well in to the cover of the trees they ran as best they could in their current condition. By the time Inuyasha had come out of his shock, they were long gone.

* * *

And anger and loathing filled his chest like none he had ever known. Why had she left for him of all people? Then sadness enveloped him. She had been so broken. How desperate could she have been to go to someone so heartless and cruel? What had he done to leave her like that? There was no turning back now. And her eyes, they had shown no hope, no love for what she had left behind. He felt the overwhelming sensation of failure bring himto his knees on the verge of tears. 

"Kagome...I..."

* * *

Sesshomaru looked at the girl next to him on his left. She quietly prodded the fire in front of them, her long black hair tucked behind her ear on her right and falling in front of her face on the other side. The sadness in her eyes told him everything. 

"I'm sorry." He could think of nothing better to say to tell her how he felt about the incident. She shook her head.

"It's my fault. I should have known. Ri had warned me after all."

"Who?"

Kagome looked up sat him and smiled. Then she looked at the girl on the ground next to him and closed her eyes, leaning up against a tree.

"A friend that is from the other side."

She told him all she could about her home back through the well, about her friends and how they tended to see the pain better than she did. She could only attest to 20/20 hindsight, foresight was almost non existent. He listened carefully for a while and the night hit its peak, covering everything in the still silence that comes right as everything that stays awake even at night realizes that it is now a downward spiral to sleep and the waking creature of the early dawn end their pleasant dreams. Soon the noise would start again, but for now, all was quiet.

"You miss them, don't you?"

She poked at the fire again. Then she put the stick down and leaned forward more to rest her head on her legs looking at him. She was still wearing the bloodstained loose grey pants and pale blue shirt she had worn earlier. Slowly she nodded.

"Why did you leave the others?"

"I thought that we had gone over that already."

"The rest of the story."

She curled up in on herself and tried to find an easy way out of this.

"I guess it's not time yet then." Kagome looked over at the demon in surprise. He had started staring into the fire. Just like that he had accepted the fact that she was not ready to talk about it yet. It stirred something in her. Maybe it was time to say it. She had even hid it from the others, though Ru likely knew about it already. She was just like that. But Kagome needed to say it. It was time.

* * *

The group looked around at one another. None of them said anything, but each felt the guilt that had passed through the group when Inuyasha had pointed out that she had trusted Sesshomaru over any of them. To be so blind was, pathetic.

* * *

Kirara looked on at the rest of them. She felt the guilt to, but she felt it also for what she had not been able to do. Kagome should not have had to interfere. She should have felt the Chaos creature and should not have had the time to nearly kill the half brother of Inuyasha. She would have to do better next time.

* * *

"It all began with what I actually told you before…"

* * *

Ru-Chan: Hope you liked it. I enjoyed writing it. It was a hard chapter, but I tried to convey all my points well. I think I should say that for all those of you who follow the Sailor Moon story, Chaos does not play the same role. He is the opposite of Fate in my story(ies). Spawn of Chaos, his creature, they are his servents, and do his dirty work when it comes to rebellios chained (explanation later in story). Anyway. I think I may give the story in my next chapter. Please tell me if you would like to know the reason behind the madness. There are servents of Fate as well, but ... well, I'll describe one soon. Anyways, thanks for your patience. Sorry if the "faster" scenes were tedious. I just felt I needed them to brake up the story a bit more. And yes, Kagome has go her memory back. Well, more like her dreams released her memory because she wanted to help Sesshomaru and Rin but she had no reason to. So she searched for a reason in herself and tapped her memory. Now she is going to tell the story of why she left. 

Joe: We will be updating Seal my Soul next. Sorry to all you readers for that one. We hope to get it done soon. Review please!


	17. When I Think of That Day I Miss Myself

Ru-Chan: My apologizies to sesshomaru828. I think I may have mixed up something in our correspondence and spoiled the chapter. Please don't hurt me. Besides that I'm very happy. Two chapters in one day is good.

Joe: Please note that as of next week we are not sure of an update time. We will be out of town and do not know if we will be able to access any necessary equipment, ie. internet, from where we are. We would like to apologize ahead of time for the inconvience. We will try and post for both chapters once more before we leave.

Bob: R&R!

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* * *

_

_I suppose it began where all stories begin. At the beginning. I was sick of it. Sick of how he was always pining after his lost love and then switching back to dote on me. I didn't want his protection anymore. I just wanted him to leave me alone. But he saw too much of Kikyou in me and couldn't let go._

_So one night I ran away. I picked up my stuff and left. I didn't go very far, and I had every intention of letting him find me again. But I wanted to know if he cared at all. And I wanted him to stop looking at me in that way. The way that said, 'I miss her, be her for me.'_

_It made me sick. It made me sick of her and sick of him. And it made me make a mistake. I had left the safety of the group and I was angry. I forgot to try and sense for danger in my wrath, and so Naraku found me and captured me. I tried to fight him off, so he ended up knocking me out. When I came to I was in his castle, somewhere. I was not alone though. He was right there next to me._

_He never actually did anything… untoward… to me. He just was there. And he tried to be nice to me. He gave me stuff. Dresses, a garden. Anything that I wanted he created for me. If I asked him to he would have killed himself I think, a thought that was oftentimes tempting. But I was terrified._

_The aura around his castle tortured me more than anything. It gave me dreams of things I had hoped to never have to face. He wanted me, I know that for certain. Just like his other half wanted Kikyou. But I did not want him. I don't even remember not crying while I was there anymore. I prayed that Inuyasha and the others would come for me, but nothing ever happened. I grew to hate myself._

_The Chaotic aura around me slowly brought my mind and heart down into the very depths of oblivion and death. I wanted nothing, saw less, needed only one thing. To die. It was hopeless._

_I never understood why they came, but there were the dreams. Visions of things that would brake even the hardest of hearts. Mine was already shattered, so there was little left to do but make the whole incident irreversible. It may have been if I had not spent all that time with Ru afterwards. She has the ability to change situations and the state of souls to something close to… not human, but better. Whole. It's a wonder I survived at all._

_And the entire time, he was there, haunting my every step, chasing away any hope of escape. I had no faith in anything anymore. He left a mark that's impossible to see in my soul. He left traces of himself that continued to haunt me even after my escape. I cannot forget any of what transpired there._

* * *

Kagome curled up some more next to the fire. It was only then that Sesshomaru realized the gravity of her telling him this. She had told him and no other. Not his brother, not her friends. She had told him. She was opened her mouth to speak again._

* * *

_

I don't even know how long I was there. Too long by any accounts. I think that I had given up. I knew that Naraku had gotten the jewel completed. I felt only a deeper sense of despair, if that was even possible. One would think that there is a point at which one can descend no further. It must be a very low point indeed.

_And then I felt it one day. The presence of those I had thought to have forgotten me. I knew better then though. It was impossible to hide to presence of the jewel any longer. They only needed dull senses to feel it. They had come for it, not for me._

_I made the mistake of going to watch. I was ignored, no one had come for me so they did not see what they not wish to see. I was not who I had been before. Perhaps they wanted to think they had spared me from any of it. I don't really care anymore. The truth was, I just wanted to walk away, but I knew they needed something to hold them back from finding me._

_And then he said it._

"I will avenge Kikyou!"

_He did not even mention me at all. He did not even think for a minute that Naraku might have been the one to take me. She was all he cared about. I could not leave that behind me, not with her gone._

_I don't remember anymore how, but the jewel somehow flew out of Naraku's hands. It landed on his side of some sort of barrier. Inuyasha and the others did not go for it, they knew that they could not reach it in time and if they moved they would be in danger._

_Everyone was ignoring me, and the jewel was calling. I couldn't resist. They were yelling and mocking each other, the lowliest form of fighting. I walked over. By the time they even realized I was there I had already picked up the jewel. I must have stroked it because suddenly it was clear and shining with pure light. I knew what I had to do. In moments Naraku was dead. I'm not sure how I did it, just that I did._

_His palace was destroyed and his servants, his incarnations, they were free. I still just stood there. The others started toward me and I decided what needed to be done. I did a Summoning, I brought Kikyou's soul back and created a body for her. It wasn't hard, I just used my memories and my abilities. Even the Binding, where I tied her soul to her body, wasn't very hard. It just took a great deal of my strength. And all of a sudden she was standing there, and I had given her the part of her soul that was in me too, and I was free._

_So I ran._

_I didn't even look back to see if he was following. I just kept going, and going, and going. There was no point of return, no way to go back to where I had been. So I ran…_

* * *

"And then I found you. I was still trying to put it all behind me, and there you were. I don't know what I'll do now. I don't know if I can do anything anymore." Kagome curled in even closer in on herself. She was finding it hard to push back the images from that time.

"I think once, he may have tried to kiss me. I don't remember much from that experience though."

* * *

Sesshomaru looked over at the almost pathetic form of humanity beside him, turn, and wrapped her in his arms. She blinked a few times before she grabbed onto the front of his shirt and buried her face in his chest.

And then she cried.

To this day, Sesshomaru did not remember what had possessed him to do that. He just remembered sitting there for sometime, holding the weeping girl in his arms while she tried to find something worthwhile in her life. He held her for the rest of the night, letting her fall asleep in his arms.

* * *

Inuyasha and the others were curled around a campfire, each of them locked in his or her own view of the last time they had seen her on her own. What they should have done, what they should have known.

None of them truly survived the night. When at last all of them fell asleep they fell even deeper into dreams in which they saw their darker selves, a sight which breaks all but those who have seen it of others already and know that there are none left truly good. But even they fear it.

* * *

And they saw also, a broken soul left in tatters without the ability to bring itself back together, having to survive in a world of Chaos on its own. And they knew the soul, and none of them would step forward to help, each of them held back by something of their own.

* * *

Miroku saw the weeping form of Kagome and turned. He was not close to her as the others were, and he did not want Inuyasha after him.

* * *

Sango saw her sobbing friend and almost stepped forward, but the ghosts of her past demanded that she avenge them. She turned instantly to them.

* * *

Kikyou looked and without a second thought turned. It was time that the girl learned to support herself and pay for what she had brought upon herself and the others so long ago.

* * *

Shippo looked at the girl and started for her. Monsters appeared on every side. He looked, then fled. Inuyasha would do better at this.

* * *

Inuyasha looked at her and started for her as fast as he could, only just beyond hearing distance something grabbed his arm and pulled him to a halt. He turned to see Kikyou holding him back form reaching her.

_You don't need her, I'm here._

Entranced almost and knowing that she was right, Inuyasha turned away. He looked back once and saw a silver flash behind her but turned back again before he could see the figure enfold the crying girl in his arms.

* * *

For some, there is no hope. But for one, that night, there as a new beginning. Some stories don't need happy endings.

* * *

Ru-Chan: DON'T WORRY! I'm not done with the story yet. I was just tyring to convey a point, which was that Kagome is going to lead a different kind of life now that she has stopped running from her past. Only, the ending to her old life was telling her story which brought her great sadness.

Other thing, the different things that talk about each of the characters, they all have the smae dream and I just put that in there to show how each of them react to her... existence. Some are closer than others. But I was also trying to point out each of their darker sides. I feel like the good guys, with the exception of Kikyou, always seem too good. Nothing against you people that like Kikyou. Its jsut that sometimes she does seem a little self centered and... rudely blunt (irony at its finest).

Joe: Hope you liked it! Please review.

Bob: apologies agian to sesshoamru828. Read her story too, its good!


	18. A Soul is Broken, A New Path of Hope

Ru-Chan: Okay, here's the second update for today. Hopes you likes it. If you have any questions please don't be afraid to ask.

Joe: R&R!

* * *

It could be called the beginning of the end but Kagome preferred to think of it as the end of the beginning. There was nothing left to regret but the fact that she had not spoken sooner and her entire disposition was much more cheerful and bright.

Sesshomaru had kept her safe all that long night and she had woken before Rin had so no strange questions ensued. She was comforted and for the first time in a long time she felt almost while and certainly felt like her old self. It was normal to feel in some way incomplete for every human being and so she did not worry over it. She played with Rin and spent evenings talking with the ever gentling character of Sesshomaru. Life was good and she finished rejuvenating herself in those next few weeks.

* * *

Inuyasha was consistently silent on the return trip. Kikyou was not helpful. She kept complaining that this was the second sporadic trip that had lead them nowhere recently and he needed to stop chasing silly dreams and fantasies. Some people had work to do. 

Most of the time he just nodded and apologized, but he had a hard time when he was left alone and often wondered how pathetic he had to have become for someone he had known what felt like forever to go to his brother whom she had only known from his own hatred. He broke then and wondered if his own failure even amounted to half of the pain she must have felt trapped so long in the clutches of a monster without any hope of rescue.

He had not even seen her when she had been right in front of him. He had not even considered her when he had sworn vengeance on Naraku. What could she have possibly thought of him? What did he deserve to be thought of as? He did not even want to think about it any longer.

He did not even understand why he listened to Kikyou anymore. She seemed to be more of a hindrance now than a necessary part of his life. Perhaps that was part of his guilt. Kagome had given him something else to fill the gap and had not considered herself for even a minute. She had given something to him even in her last moments after the hope had gone. She had cared for him till the end. And he had not even thought of her till she left him behind.

What kind of person did that make him? Would he have even cared if she had left the jewel behind with him, or would he have just let her go in a moment? How could she not go to someone else? Even if it meant risking her life in the process.

Time seemed to slug by at an unbearable rate, especially when they made it back to the village. Then they did not even have the helpful mundane of traveling procedure to distract him for even a moment. A darkness consumed him.

* * *

Eventually she left them behind. It was a much better parting than the first because this time she made sure it was clear that she had ever intention of coming back. Sesshomaru promised to take care where he wondered and Rin said that she would make sure the demon lord smiled while Kagome was gone. It was a habit he had picked up in the few weeks after the reunion. He smiled at little things and it was a happy smile. Kagome had once gotten him to laugh blaming his new habit on the lack of a certain green monstrosity of nature. He had laughed even harder when Rin said it was a shame she had not gotten to make him pretty one last time.

* * *

Time passed as it is to do under normal circumstances. Not too much time but enough for Rin and Sesshomaru to begin to feel the loss of their friend and enough time that Inuyasha actually inverted in on himself consumed by the blame and foolishness of his actions to the point where none of his friends could induce his return. He spent his time at the well, waiting for that day when she would have to come back and go home, but he was nearing the point where even he doubted her ever returning to forgive. It can ruin a man, doubt.

* * *

And when this time had passed a village far away found itself in a sudden abundance of gossip. A girl had come through town and had professed an interest in the dead garden behind it. An interest in the garden. That had to be a first. No she did not need a place to stay, the garden would do quite well thank you. It was haunted, maybe she was some modern priestess that would get rid of the spirits. But she did not seem to be one at all. It was eerie. No one ever stayed in the garden. 

And then there was the fact that after she had arrived she routinely left the garden and never came back to the village for anything. And perhaps still stranger were the events that happened afterward that only one person in the village understood.

* * *

Cosac was a wolf that had managed to survive on the account of being the favorite of a certain higher being. He was not a god, rather a guardian of gods, but essentially had decided to guide Cosac to a new life of comfort after he had fallen in a gorge and was no longer fit to hunt in his pack. 

On account of him being rescued by a god guardian he knew some things to be fact that some humans took for granted and assumed to be fiction. He saw the signs and felt the presence of the girl. He knew the time had com. So the events that transpired did not surprise him in the least. Not when the garden grew to a sudden splendor, and not when it suddenly seemed to no longer exist. He knew better than to try and explain it to any of the native populace though. Fate sorted out human issues by allowing them to rationalize inexistence which was probably why they had managed to survive so long assuming that they were the predominant species.

* * *

But before the time passed something must be understood. And that is even if Kagome knew she was going to fulfill her fate, she was going to do everything in her power to fight Fate at the same time. She would bring it all back for her own reasons, but it would all be as she chose even if it meant leaving things to develop on their own. 

Kagome had learned not to be afraid of the higher gods from Ru. The other girl had pointed out that the worst they could do was kill you and then it would all end anyway and you would get to spend eternity in paradise with them, so why should you be afraid.

Of course, Ru also pointed this out to Kagome by yelling at her how lucky she was to actually be able to do so seeing that Ru had no such advantage. Kagome had always been a little more optimistic after that fight.

* * *

Now, back to where the time has already passed.

* * *

Kagome looked over a tree top and down on a village. It was a tree she actually knew quite well for having only ever seen this particular one for the first time only ten minutes ago. The village looked similar too. But that was simply as it was supposed to be. If you went far enough to the north it looked exactly the same as if you went directly south. The woods, the villages. There were only a few very important differences. 

The first was the gate. The gate lay in the south.

The second was the people. The people were very different.

The people did not get many demons up in this part, they were pushed out by the vivacious wildlife. What people got were ghosts and spirits floating about the place like they were supposed to be as common as a breeze.

The people did not hate strangers, but they were very cautious about them. Especially ones that came dressed in very outlandish clothing and asked if they could be pointed in the direction of dangerous things.

The villagers did not like Kagome.

She was strange and she did strange things like stay in the garden outside the village and _nothing happened to her_. Several things occurred to the people concerning this. She could be a ghost herself, you got very solid ghosts in these parts, and she was trying to find a path to death. The other option was that she could talk to ghosts and was guiding them to death. The last option was she was insane and wanted to be possessed. They prayed for one of the first two.

Kagome did not talk to the villagers except for once to ask where the garden was and if anyone had been looking for it lately. Then she went down into it.

The first few weeks were pretty straight forward. Before she could revive it she had to remember it. She walked the gardens and let her memories seep back into her existence and give her a greater chance of success. It was a peaceful time, but full of its own sadness as well, especially when it came to the cheery tree, but she managed to make it through till the very end.

At the end of the first few weeks se was ready. She found the center of the garden and settled herself down in it for several more weeks. This was meditation pure and simple, drawing what life was left in the garden out of it in order to prepare for what was to come.

When she had collected all the energy she needed, and could possibly handle, she stood and stretched out ready to truly begin.

* * *

Ru-Chan: This was a fairly dull chapter in general. It is a transition into something more exciting. And my big fight scene was a recent major climax so right now I'm on a slight downswing to something more important. It should only take a few more chapters. 

Joe: Thanks, review please!


	19. A Renewal, A Summons

Ru-Chan: I is sad. I got one review for the last chapter. Maybe that's 'casue I was gone for a week, but it hurts my poor tenfer feelings. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hopes you like it! R&R

* * *

Some things are never truly understandable unless you see them or you do them. One of these things is bringing back to existence the previously predominating power in a world. But it can at least be explained in action if not in principle.

* * *

Kagome stood and stretched in preparation. She looked to the sky and prayed to any listening friends to give her strength. Then she settled back down on the ground. 

A dry and particularly brittle branch withered in front of her. It was a single branch and of no particular specialty except for the fact that it happened to be placed right in the center of the garden.

Kagome put her hands around it and closed her eyes gently. Soft sounds of the past filled her mind as she tried to settle on the right memory.

Eventually she found it.

_

* * *

_

It must have been a bright day, for if it had been dark the general light that she was radiating would have in fact decimated any cloud coverage. Everything had been going perfectly.

_She had walked away. For the first time ever she had walked away._

_After the initial shock of leaving what she had behind and telling someone of her troubles she felt like something new had started and she was no longer the dead remains of her past. It was a time of a new beginning. It was a time of rebirth._

_Every breath she took gave new hope and was a new experience in her life._

_The first things that she felt she had to do was regain a sense of who she was and who she was in correspondence to her power. She went off to find a quiet place to meditate._

"_Where are you going Kagome?"_

"_I'll be back in a bit. I'm just going to go and do a little self searching is all. I need to make sure I'm not in a misbalance from the events from last night. I'll be fine."_

_She walked off and found a quiet little clearing and settled down. She closed he eyes and got ready to view the damage. To her surprise it was not as bad as she thought and she managed to clean up fairly quickly._

_It was not the events that happened in the rest of the day but rather the feeling of being new again of beginning again that made the day worth all the more._

* * *

The feeling of renewal spread through her body and down her fingers into the stem. Slowly the stem color turned from an almost invisible grey to a pale green. The green deepened and turned brown in most areas. Small stems grew from it and under the ground fresh roots took hold. Growth stopped suddenly as if it had hit a road block. 

Kagome dug deeper into her memories and began to move through them. The growth started once more.

Blooms appeared on branches at thoughts of family and friends. Leaves appeared to the whims of peaceful nights under the moon and breezy days on long adventures with friends.

Green spread through the garden with memories of healing quiet discussions and abrasive confessions. Trees sprung to full growth from long dead days at the thought of their counterparts in forests. Those trees were the home of playmates in her days of rebirth and before. They were also the teachers of legend.

Ponds filled and produced fountains in their midst's with floods of emotion when she danced in the rain with a good friend and mentor and let go of the world to become like an innocent child and laugh as though she had never laughed before.

Paths straightened at memories of good choices and wonderful successes.

And after it all was brought to splendor around her and she could no longer push the thoughts away she filled her self and the bush in front of her with the deepest passions of love. Thoughts of a man who had fulfilled even in his absence the dreams of her youth brought forth the beginning of the blooming of the blossoms.

Memories of amber eyes and warm moments beyond the pain and the doubt consumed her and she let herself fall into thoughts of warm moments in his arms and timeless moments when it was just them fighting to stay alive side by side.

They were memories of brother fighting brother and realizing that there was no end to it but that she did not want there to be. It was memories of bringing him back from the brink of savageness and gentling him with her touch and her voice.

They were the memories of fear of not knowing whether or not he would ever see her as one to protect again. Those memories that incensed the most profound growth of adoration for one who would rather leave her behind.

It was that devotion to one who she could not give up no matter how much she tried to leave him behind.

It made the blooms into beautiful white roses whose petals darkened silver as they met at the center of the stem. They were truly beautiful flowers and though one bush sat center most in the garden, there were eight other bushes with the same flowers surrounding it in a circle.

* * *

There was nothing left in her when it was over but the lingering sense that she would not regret having him back again by her side.

* * *

The townsfolk were astonished when they woke the next morning to find a once desolate garden now full of life. It was most astounding and beautiful. They all decided against going to it that day in the case that it might be an illusion or demons might be lurking near. But they resigned to send a scouting team to find out the day after. 

Cosac took great notice of the garden knowing full well he would not get to see it the next day. He stared longingly but did not go down. He knew better. He had not been invited.

* * *

Inuyasha walked a strange path in a strange wood. He knew the path and the wood like the back of his hand because it was a path he had used many times to hassle Kagome to come back and hunt for the jewel once more. But something was wrong.

The stars were in the wrong place as if they had been shifted in the sky and the air was a little more chill than it had been before. He could not even be sure if it was the air or the aura that sent shivers up and down his spine in regular intervals.

A scent reached his nose of pain, fear, blood, and death. He ran forward blindly hoping not to be running into some sort of trap.

He ran into a memory.

He ran into a nightmare.

He ran into a long forgotten past.

And when he awoke he did not remember a thing that he had dreamed. He could not even remember having dreamed at all.

The mid afternoon sun danced as the breeze shifted the trees and their shadows. Inuyasha sat up from against the well and looked all around him. Something felt missing, but he could not be sure what.

He looked over to see some food beside him. He did not know why he bothered to eat anymore. He supposed it was in the hope that he might actually be able to make up for his complete incompetence. Whatever the reason he did eat and finished off the food fairly quickly. So quickly in fact that he was not quite sure what it was that he had eaten.

* * *

Sesshomaru stopped and turned his head northward. Rin looked up from her playing and did the same. Nothing had changed. There was not even a breeze. But they looked to the north.

And then, as if following an order they both found a comfortable tree to recline against and went to sleep.

* * *

Cosac woke form his mid afternoon nap and pricked his ears. He had not left the village for a very long time and had never done so without having a purpose.

But he had been invited. And no one could refuse the lady.

He ambled out the gate which never closed in the day but always did so at night. He did not know if he would some back or not.

* * *

Kagome reached out and petted the soft fur of the animal in front of her. He was a kind beast and clever as well. She had wanted to get to know him before but time would not allow any delay.

Now she looked him over and whimpered in a strange lounge at which some points the wolf replied.

He was called Cosac and had been saved by the god guardian. No he did not know how to summon the master only that he should listen. He was terribly sorry he could not be of more service and no there was nothing he needed.

Kagome smiled at him and petted his head for a while, then buried her face in his snout and breathed in deeply. She took in every last part of his scent and committed it to memory. Then she grabbed onto his next and held back a sudden rush of tears.

Another snout laid itself on her shoulder. It was _much_ larger than the first one.

She let the smaller wolf go and he hurried back to the village. Then she turned to Aup and consulted with her friend.

"It has been a long time."

"Too long my lady. I would assume you wish to know how to reverse the spell."

"I am afraid I have quite forgotten it my friend."

"We shall have to wait till tonight. We will need the full moon."

"Of course."

"You are well then."

"I am better."

"Better?"

"Surely you know already."

"I am afraid I have not had the privilege to catch up on things down here for quite some time. I have been in a conference with Fate and Chaos over your young friend and her antics against the Powers."

"Ru-Chan will not be stopped by the common man, nor the uncommon for that matter. She is much too independent and self centered for that."

"Yes, I do believe that you are right about that in the very least."

"Then I shall tell you my tale. But first, have you summoned the other two? The rest are going to be in the switch but I do not think the two are."

"It has been taken care of."

* * *

Inuyasha settled down for another nap. The trees still danced in the wind and he was not about to remember what it was he had forgotten.

He wondered at his memory these days but could not figure out why it kept failing him. He was quite concerned with it, but was not sure what he should do. He shifted into a more comfortable position.

* * *

Kirara looked around the room and dashed out when she saw that she would not be immediately needed. She was exhilarated, he had come back at last. She would not get to seem him for some time she knew, but she could not resist and headed for a point in the village where she could best feel his presence. She found it in a well lit alley that would provide a good excuse of a sun bath. She curled into a ball and settled down for a nap basking in the glow of the sun and the warmth of is power.

* * *

Kagome and Aup felt a presence near them and Kagome felt it was best to leave and stretch before the nights work. She also decided it was time to get clean and refreshed so she went and found her bag and headed toward a nearby stream to clean up. Aup curled up for a nap of his own.

As she walked she decided to wear something special for the occasion, so while she was headed toward the stream she fished around in her bag for her silver-grey pants and white shirt.

* * *

Night pressed heavily on everyone's mind.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Hopes you liked the chapter. Please note that I now require 3 reviews for an update. You chose to have the story continue. You want a new chapter you have to reveiw.

Joe: Thank you for reading this far!


	20. The Story and Hope

Ru-Chan: I should not be updating this story. Only one person reviewed and I said I wanted three. But I confess thatI want to share it too much to just let it go. I think that because this is my first story, it won't do as well as the others. But I will finish it because I want to. It's getting to the more interesting part of the story, so I'm hoping that more people will be willing to review. If not, fine. If I get three reviews I will update immediately. If I do not, I will wait about two or three weeks before updating again, so that those who read it get to read it, but if they want to read it sooner, they will review.

Joe: Sorry for the inconvineince(sp), but we really want the reviews. The other story has 2/3 the chapters and more reviews and 2/3 the hits. Maybe its because its the second one, but anyway. R&R please!

* * *

Kagome got back from the stream that evening refreshed, clean, and glowing. Aup looked up at her just having woken from his nap. She trusted that he had had a nice long conversation with Kirara. She looked him in the eye and he pretty much got the message that it was time. Being able to communicate with people's minds can be fairly effective sometimes.

Aup stood and slowly shifted form until what stood before Kagome was no longer a very large wolf but a very tall man. He rivaled Sesshomaru in height and hair length for that matter. The two of them looked very similar only Aup's hair was a darker silver, he was taller, had no markings on the sides of his face, had no moon on his forehead, was definitely older and less serious, and wore a very different apparel.

He chose loose black pants and a dark grey long sleeved shirt. His style could have been considered more modern, but had a decisively aged feel to it. He wore a sword on his back and the belt that stretched across his chest was black with silver wording embroidered over it. The sword was plain and had a plain hilt with a pale stone set in the top that looked like a miniature moon.

A dagger hung on a black belt even more plain than the sword, but the man who carried them had such a majestic air that none would guess for a minute that the sword and dagger were normal.

They both sat back down on the ground and closed their eyes. They crossed their legs and put their hands on the others knees. And then they called.

* * *

It was a silent call, a call to the land. It was a call that stretched over time and space and urged a shift in the land. They called until the moon reached full peak. And then a bright low filled the land. But no one was there to see it. They were all asleep.

Land shifted in an instant and soon north was south and south was north. And yet, everything was exactly the same.

* * *

In a small village of no consequence the people woke to see that the garden was gone. But it was not really gone. It had just never been there. Its funny how with human minds if you think it and believe it enough that is just how it is.

Cosac looked over to where the garden had once been and smiled. At least it had been a success. He had that much to look forward to.

* * *

Inuyasha awoke to find that he had slept through the afternoon and through the night. And now he felt that the wind was just a bit more chill and looking at the fading night sky he saw the remains of stars that were definitely not in the right place.

He worried what he would find if he went to the village.

But he went anyway.

* * *

Sesshomaru and Rin walked along a path that was beginning to look very familiar. They walked as quickly as they could in the hopes that they would soon be able to meet up again with someone very important to both of them.

* * *

Shippo woke and walked out of the hut. He climbed onto the roof in order to more fully awake himself and to conquer a fear of heights. The little kitsune (sp) looked behind him and felt his jaw drop as it looked over a garden that had most certainly not been there the day before. He woke the others with a yell which would not have come out of his mouth if he had not fallen off the roof in his surprise.

Sango, Miroku, and Kikyou dashed out and asked the poor injured thing if he was alright and asking what had possessed him to fall off the roof.

The poor stammering thing could not say anything more than "Garden… garden…garden…"

Since nothing else would escape his tremoring lips the group had no other choice but to place the thing in the hut and go around out of the village to see what all the fuss was about outside the gate.

When none of them returned till mid afternoon the villagers decided that a deep interrogation was in order. Inuyasha arrived not long after they did and found himself listening to the conversation.

"What did you see, you were gone all morning."

"It was a garden."

"A big one."

"Huge."

"It wasn't there before."

"But then, how could you have seen it?"

"How could it have gotten here?"

"What's going on?" asked Inuyasha.

"These were gone all morning after the kitsune was fall right off the roof. Say there's a garden out back the village now."

"I though that it looked a bit greener and weirder from the corner of it I saw as I came in, but I kinda ignored it."

"You're back," came the remark from Kikyou. This got a look of awe from everyone else in the vicinity. The general thought from all present were that something was happening.

"I suppose that you will be wanting an explanation for everything that's been happening, huh."

A look toward the gate told everyone everything they needed to know. Kagome was standing there with a very, very, _very_ large wolf and she seemed to be very confident. All assumptions turned to Kagome being the source of all the strangeness.

"That would be very beneficial," came the acerbic reply from Kikyou. Kagome ignored her.

"Well."

"We would appreciate it if you would enlighten us," came a more civil reply from Inuyasha.

"You, you, you, you, you, and you can come with me," she said pointing to her previous traveling companions. They followed her out of the village.

* * *

They ended up waiting outside the forest for some time and she had to hold Inuyasha back when Sesshomaru came into view. The look she gave him when he glared at her to let him go made him relax and let his brother walk next to him with much reluctance.

Kagome greeted Rin with enthusiasm and carried her on her own shoulders to the garden. On the way she talked lightly with Sesshomaru and they had a good laugh or two on the way which silenced the rest of the group.

When they reached the center of the garden she put Rin down and pushed the girl toward Sesshomaru.

"The truth is I have no intention of telling you any of what's going on. What I need is for Inuyasha and Sesshomaru to give me their swords, the Tenseiga from you Sesshomaru, yes thank you, and your sword Inuyasha… Inuyasha!"

"You left, you left and went to him."

"Sorry?"

"You ran away, you didn't want our help. You went to him instead. Even when we were there you didn't say anything. You didn't ask anything, you didn't want anything, and now you just expect me to hand over my sword like a good little dog." He tried his best glare on her.

The look she gave him could have curled cheese, and then turned it moldy and then have it disintegrate. He flinched slightly, but stood his ground.

"You never came for me, so why should I have trusted you. Why should I have turned to you who didn't even think twice about me? All you thought about was her. Even when she was in no pain, had no real problems you forgot I even existed. What did you think I would do? Come back to you with open arms begging for your protection. I learned the hard way I can't trust anyone but myself."

She did not want to talk to him about this. He had not cared then and it was fairly obvious he did not care now. It was all about him, never about her, what she wanted, who she was.

"You never looked twice at me when Kikyou was around, even if she wasn't near you. Then whenever it looked like you weren't going to get to see her again you started to pay attention to me. It made you feel guilty 'cause I was all that was left of her. If you lost me you couldn't turn around and see Kikyou following you all the time."

It made her sick, he still did not understand he thought she was being selfish, but she did not care what he thought about her as long as he always thought that way."

"I'm not Kikyou, and I never will be. I couldn't care less if you hated me or didn't trust me but stop acting like I'm Kikyou. I won't ever be like her cause I'm not supposed to be. You can't change that or make it different just 'cause I look like her. You expect me to come back to you all the time but that's her, not me. I make my own choices and I don't go for the leftovers. If you hate me fine, I don't ever care, at least it won't be left over hate for her. You can't hate her. She's all you'll ever want!"

Inuyasha tried to ingest all of this while looking slightly indignated but only ended up looking baffled and surprised. He had no right to be indignated on this one. She was right.

"Are you going to give me the sword or not Half-breed?"

Inuyasha and the others stared. She had never called him that, ever. That meant that a) she was ticked and, b) she was definitely not like Kikyou. It took a few moments to let all this sink in.

"What'd I have that'll prove you'll give it back?"

"My word!"

"Not good enough."

The air started to crackle. No one moved. This could get ugly.

"What do you want, a blood pact. I don't feel like being nice and cooperative right now. You can give me the sword and take my word that I will give it back. Or we can skip the agreement and I can take the sword without any promises and act just like you expect. Any questions?"

Inuyasha handed over his sword with a slow, obvious disdain in his actions showing he did not trust Kagome at all. She snatched it out of his hands and placed the two swords on either side of Aup.

He closed his eyes and muttered something in an indistinct tongue. Kagome closed her eyes as well and placed her hands over the swords. Two thin threads came out of her hands and slowly wound up and around in a series of circles.

Kagome poured new acquired memory into the process the thread took shape over the two sword and they filled with the power of Aup. When completed the threads closed off and the swords glowed and two bright lights emerged from them and entered the thread forms, or as they were now, bodies.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru looked on in awe and when questioned they did not reply. The figures hung over the swords for a moment, but landed gently on the earth when Kagome sent two more threads to bring the swords out from under them. The figures opened their eyes.

"Mother?" said Inuyasha.

"Father?" said Sesshomaru.

"I would be willing to bet that you thought you would never see us again, didn't you. Well done girl. If they don't know no one else will. You did a good job. You too Kirara. And of course I couldn't forget you Aup."

The two demons bowed at the figures.

"Nice to see it went well your Majesty. Now, you can explain to these people." Kagome said.

Rin spoke up.

"It's like the story, isn't it? The one you told about the princesses."

The gravity of what that meant dawned on Sesshomaru who said, "It doesn't have to turn out that way this time right?"

"No of course not, especially since I intend that no one be put in that kind of danger again. And it helps that the main cause of the issue has… errr… moved on shall we say." came the reply from Inutaishou.

"Um, I was talking about the relationship thing actually."

"Oh, um Kagome, think you can handle this?"

"It doesn't have to be the same, no. And just because its somewhat 'messed up' right now doesn't mean that it won't hypothetically change."

"Good."

This got a very peculiar stare from Kagome and Sesshomaru looked at the ground. Some present could have sworn he was blushing.

"Uh, it's Rin right, well, what was the story?" asked Sango.

"I think that it would be better if I just gave you a brief summary, mostly because you will remember the most crucial parts as you go," interrupted Inutaishou.

"Go right ahead," said Kagome. "I have no intention of telling that story again."

"Well…"

_

* * *

_

It all began a very long time ago when the world was ruled by those with the power over the elements and the things which depended on the elements. There were princes of earth for most everything, but some dimensional kingdoms and special lands were given rights to their own rulers. We were of one such independent dimension.

_Our dimension ruled over the majority of the demon populace, and we divided up into our own kingdoms. I had my place and you two as my sons. Kikyou and Kagome were sisters from another kingdom and princesses from there. You could say that we were the leading power in the world. However, we needed people from that kingdom to power the Shikon Jewel, which we protected, but bettered all of the land. It was the life of the land._

_Essentially, Sesshomaru was to marry the oldest and we were still working things out for the younger two, we were not sure whether they would marry out for relations, or marry in._

"Or elope," Kagome muttered under her breath. Inutaishou ignored her. No one else had heard.

_Naraku and Onigumo were… obsessed with the princesses and used forbidden power to try and take them. Unfortunately the power backfired and they were forced to live eternity while everyone in the palace died._

_I cannot say for certain how they lived as one after that, but that was how it was._

_In any case, Kagome was the only one who could gather everyone back to this place and restore it to where it belonged. The Gate and the garden of the palace were separated so that no one could find them and travel through them without permission and do any harm. Kirara and Aup were to wait and help, only I think Kirara was a bit out of the circle on this one, poor thing. She did her best though._

* * *

"So, that's it. Oh, and everyone here had a special job too. Sango was in charge of outside forces, Miroku was in charge of castle defense, and Shippo was in charge of Special Forces. They were all the advisors plus some extra, but that was pretty much it. Any questions."

"Uh, yeah. If this is the palace garden, where's the palace?"

* * *

Ru-Chan: Hope you liked it. I got to the most important part of the story. Do not argue with me on the names. It took me forever to find ones thatI thought would be the closest to the right ones. I don't want to hear about it. Review please!


	21. Bedrooms and Histories

Ru-Chan: Weeeeee, I just couldn't help myself. I was sooooooooo happy when I got two reviews I had to force myself to not turn on my computer so that I wouldn't update. I can't remeber if it's been a week or not, but I am psyched and so I jsut have to update. Maybe people will like my next few chaps better. This one is kinda confusing in some places, but I hope that you will follow me.

Joe: R&R!

* * *

The awkward silence that filled the garden made everyone shift a little. No one was quite sure why.

"Um, that's kind of the tricky part. We're not really sure." Inutaishou replied.

"You're not sure. Speak for yourself. I know where it is." Kagome retorted.

"I thought that we had already discussed that. There's no feasible way for that to have happened. I would know better than you."

"You're being stupid."

"Hold your tongue."

An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as Kagome turned around to walk away.

"She doesn't feel like putting up with you right now."

Heads turned towards Sesshomaru.

"Well, she doesn't. And the only reason she's not talking is because she's not sure that she should be saying what she's thinking. You've made her angry."

Inuyasha and the others were still baffled.

"So, where's the castle?" Inuyasha asked again.

"We might as well try it," said Izayoi, gently putting a hand on Inutaishou's arm.

He rolled his eyes.

"All right girl, we'll try it. But you better have an idea of what to do. I haven't got a clue."

"So much for all encompassing knowledge," Kagome muttered.

"Watch yourself, woman!" he snapped back at her. The air became cold.

"If you would like my help, I would suggest that you do not anger me."

Her voice was calm, but there was a chilly steel to it that silenced the demon. Several wondered who was really in control. The demon's hunched shoulders and bared teeth loosened and disappeared. The anger in his eyes did not. Sesshomaru stepped up behind Kagome and laid a hand on her shoulder.

Slowly Kagome reached into her pocket and pulled out the Shikon Jewel. It sparkled in her hands, light dancing across everyone's faces. No one spoke.

Slowly she closed her hand over it and started muttering under breath. A light surrounded everyone there coming from the ground. Aup lifted up his head and howled at the sky. No moon was in sight, but that did not seem to stop his noise.

The glow spread out over a great area and a great rumbling began. The ground shook and broke in different places.

Something was rising.

Izayoi walked over to Kagome and placed her hand on top of the younger girl's. She too began muttering and the rumbling strengthened.

Slowly, time passed, andthe rumbling stopped. The light began to fade and everything quieted. The others looked around in astonishment. There was a palace that surrounded the garden now in view. Inutaishou looked lividly irate.

"Well, what do you know? It was here after all."

Kagome just stared at him. The look she gave him would have been smug, but hinted at such great importance that smugness was beneath her.

Izayoi broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Shall we go inside?"

* * *

The palace seemed to have no particular shape or form. It fitted itself to what it knew the people inside it thought it should be. It had no discernable style and each person there could see something that another could not. The main hall and dinning hall were easy to find. So were the wing of rooms and the barracks. They seemed to be the only thing that had a place in this image of the imagination.

Each person walked into their own room and observed it.

* * *

Shippo walked into his room and saw a bed that much too high for a demon of his size. He could not even reach the top of the mattress. And he knew what a mattress was even though he had never used one before.

Looking in the closet he saw a bunch of outfits that were much too big for him. It confused him.

Besides its oversized feel he liked the room. It was a pale blue with black door frames. The blankets and mattress were soft. He found this out when he dragged a series of books from a shelf on one wall to the base of the bed and created a set of mini stairs. He curled up on the middle of the bed to take a nap.

* * *

Sango looked around her room with pleasure. It was a perfect mixture of femininity and masculinity to satisfy any demon slayer woman. The room was a dark grey with a deep pink trim on the doorframes. The sheets were grey and the blanket was pink while the many pillows were of both colors.

Pictures hung on the wall or peaceful nature scenes and in the closet along with an assortment of outfits for all occasions she found a chest on the floor. It contained several more weapons and any items that were needed to take care of her various tools of destruction. She had a bookshelf as well.

Satisfied she grabbed a random book off the shelves and fell onto the bed. She opened the pages and endorsed herself in the papers contents.

* * *

Miroku walked into his room and was please with it. The closet had all he would ever need in the way of clothing and the bed was plenty soft. The room was filled with brushes, ink, and paper everywhere and other things that Miroku found very useful.

The color was a deep brown and the doors were trimmed in an even darker brown. Lights danced from every corner of the room and even though the colors were dark the room had a very light and airy feel to it.

Miroku sat down at a table and pulled out some of the papers that already had writing on them looking into his own past.

* * *

Aup lead Kirara down to the end of the hallway and opened the door for her. He then went into his room next door.

When in the privacy of her room, Kirara changed shaped. Where once stood a two tailed cat demon now stood a woman with white blonde hair and fire red eyes. She wore a split orange skirt with a pair of loose pants underneath and a pale yellow top. On her belt was a sword with a ruby in its simple hilt. Her hair was pulled up into a half bun and she wore a fine chain necklace with a strange symbol on it as well as a pair of fang earrings.

Looking around she saw that everything was how she left it. The bed was unmade and the sheets and blankets were black as well as the pillows. Books were strewn every which way from the bookshelf and an assortment of weapon care tools were on a desk in the corner along with some unfinished reports.

The walls were mismatched in colors everywhere she had taken out her anger on her walls. They had been repainted so many times and scratched up so badly that she was no longer sure which color the room was supposed to be at the moment.

She stretched her arms and went to look at the work she had left undone.

* * *

Aup looked around his room and saw that everything was the same as he had left it as well. The bed with white sheets and blankets was neatly made and everything was put in its proper place. The white walls reflected the only light source in the room, a bright crystal on a table in the corner where all the papers were put in a nice order. The books were all on the shelf except for the one he had been reading when the attack had begun. He promptly put it back in its proper place.

Then he sat down at the desk and pulled out some paper and a pen and began writing the events of the last 5,000 years down. It always helped to be organized when your master would want a report.

* * *

Rin had her own room. It was very nice and messy. It had the look of a teenager living in it. None of the clothes in the closet would fit her, but she figured she would grow into them. The bed was a little high but she managed to heave herself up and look back at the open door.

"It's okay Nii-Chan," she said to Sesshomaru. "I'll be okay in here on my own. If you could just come get me when it's time for dinner please."

The tall demon nodded to her.

Rin continued to look around the room as the door closed. It was silver all over. The sheets, the blankets, the pillows, the walls, the curtains on the window.

But Rin did not mind. She rather liked it.

There were books on a shelf and a desk with papers and pens in all colors. There were also large canvases and paints and other drawing materials all around. Rin could not remember having any skill in art and she could not remember being able to read at any time. But she trusted her hands to know.

She hopped off the bed and picked up a book full of thick paper and bound with a spiraled wire.

_Sketchbook._

She knew the feel of its pages beneath her fingers. Looking through it she saw that it was empty and unused. A chance to start again. She looked out the window to a tree in the garden. She looked at some pencils, selected one and started to draw.

* * *

Sesshomaru left Rin and went to his own bedroom. Stepping inside he saw that it was going to be much to his liking. Books lined every wall, there was no paint that he could see or smell. The bookcases were everywhere. Halfway down one of them there was a desk, but it was built into the case and so there still required no paint. It held papers, a small sketchbook, some pens, and a few small pictures.

Picking one of them up he looked and saw himself with his father and Izayoi, sitting for a family portrait. Another showed him chasing a slightly older version of Rin who had his boa. He chuckled slightly at this one.

Yet another showed everyone he had seen so far that day sitting together along with… _Koga?_

He must be late to the party. And the young female wolf demon sitting next to Koga must be coming as well. He would ask Kagome later.

The last few pictures interested him the most. It showed him giving a much younger Kagome a piggy back ride around the garden and both of them were laughing. Another showed him, her, and Rin having fallen asleep under a tree. The last one was a picture that truly puzzled him.

He and Inuyasha were standing together on the practice field with their father being tended behind them. Each held a sword in one hand and were shoulder to shoulder holding up their other hand in a V for victory sign. He could only guess that they had just cooperated to defeat their father, but he had never imagined closeness with his younger brother.

It made him feel odd.

* * *

Inuyasha stepped into his room. He blinked as he stepped through the door, looking at the oddities around him. There were several bookshelves full of books with everything form herbal medicine to proper etiquette. There were also some books on sword fighting, proper martial arts forms, and … _cooking!_

He was truly baffled.

The walls that were not covered with the bookshelves were a deep red and his bed was a mass of silver and red pillows, sheets, and blankets, each currently not discernable one from another.

Seeing a desk on one wall he went over to look at it. There were several pictures there, and they were the same as the ones Sesshomaru had, though Inuyasha did not know it, except for the ones with Rin and the two with Kagome.

There was also a picture of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru each holding back a struggling Kagome and Kikyou. A second picture showed him and Kagome standing behind Sesshomaru and Kikyou with a strange glint in their eyes and a bucket of something each.

The last two things he saw were a piece of paper and a drawing, the paper on top of the latter. The paper seemed to be a dialogue for the picture of him and Sesshomaru holding back the two sisters.

The title was "Never Forget the Fight Where we Actually Intervened."

Reading through it Inuyasha found himself chuckling.

Looking at the picture under the paper he gasped softly.

It was a perfect sketching of himself in a fighting stance, swinging his sword. The detail was brilliant,from the loose threads on his kimono to every strand of hair on his head. It made him almost dizzy to look at it.

Looking at the back he saw small neat handwriting in the form of a small message.

'_I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself today while you were at practice. Now you know what your form looked like right before you beat Sesshomaru. Maybe this can help you next time,_

_Kagome-Chan'_

Inuyasha looked at the note and then at the picture trying to think of how he could get into that stance again. He had beaten Sesshomaru. He was truly shocked. He stumbled and sat down on the bed staring at the drawing. Kagome had made it for him. He felt guilty.

She had always tried to be helpful to him, even when she did not know the first thing about what she was doing. She always tried her best to attend to all of his needs.

And he had forgotten her, left her behind like a used fire log.

And then he had the gal to accuse her of leaving him. Technically it was true. But he had left her first, left her heart and mind. She just walked away from what was already not there.

He hung his head in his hands.

And now she could be in love with Sesshomaru.

He had no proof, and pushed every effort of his mind to think otherwise, but the lingering sight of them laughing together hung before him. The picture forever imbedded in his mind of her pulling the tall demon to his feet with a look of utmost disgust on her face as she looked at his half blooded brother.

The door was closed, and so in the privacy of his own room, Inuyasha cried.

* * *

Kagome walked into her own room and looked around. The walls were four different colors and the ceiling was yet another. The wall with her bookshelf was red, yellow, and orange in a bright flame like pattern. That wall was for Rin – Chan.

The wall that opened to her closet was a pale blue with white lightening patterns all over it. That was brave and loyal Set – Chan.

The wall with her bed was a gold color and seemed grained like sand. She gazed at that wall for a very long time. Pure, innocent, powerful, deadly Ri – Chan. Kagome bowed to the wall in recognition of the help her friend had tried to give to an ignorant ear.

The last wall by the desk was orange with black, white, and green fire. That was Ru – Chan. Power, responsibility, rebellion, caught in a web of confusion, no discertion between any of the flames. And yet a motivation above any other. She was fury and kindness in one body. The epitome of sadness and utmost euphoria in one person.

The wall reminded Kagome of all she had to lose and all that she could gain. It reminded her that her fight carried no price if she lost, she should be more than willing to give up what she had. And she was.

Striding over and flopping onto the bed she looked up at the ceiling. It was silver, gold, and amber swirled in a never ending pattern of spirals. She could get lost in any of those colors. They made her feel loved. All of them.

She knew the closet held countless bits of thread, hair, and a variety of fabrics and needles. A sketchbook lay open on her desk, but she did not want to look at the torn perforated page right then. She already knew why it was there.

She could remember so much. And it hurt her more than anything.

She closed off all of her senses and listened around to make sure there was no danger lurking in a corner. She heard the shuffling of papers, some light snores, and from a room not far off she heard muffled sobs.

She sat up and tried to calculate where all the rooms were.

She nearly cried herself when she figured it out.

* * *

Ru-Chan: I hopes that I did not confuse you with my dialogue. I actually added some stuff so that I would confuse less people. I did also hint at some stuff that is going to be _very_ important later in the story. ie. Rin's and Shippo's oversized bedrooms and the picture with Koga and Ayame.

Bob: We have found it necessary to be very blunt for some people. It drags in a larger audience. Same review rules this time around. 3 times and its an automatic update. Otherwise its two to three weeks before another chapter is posted. Please, if you read Seal my Soul, review that one too. We still need two more reviews for an update!


	22. To Forget

Ru-Chan: Well, it's finally time for an update. Sorry I haven't posted fot the other two. I'm waiting for one more review for Seal my Soul and I need to finish chapter four of I'll Be There. I keep getting distracted by my other stories though. Sorry. Anyway, here's the new chapter. People might seem a bit out of character here, more so than usual. Sorry.

Bob: R&R please!

* * *

A great knock on his door caused Inuyasha to wipe the tears from his face and try and rub the redness out of his eyes. He turned to look out the window and pretend to be studying a tree outside before he said "Come in."

Kikyou stepped inside his room. He was glad it was her because she would not be able to smell the lingering scent his tears had made on his face and the floor.

"I came to see if you were alright. My room is fairly droll. Nothing in it but a bed and a desk. The walls are all white too. Well, your room looks nice anyway."

"Did you need something in particular?"

"No, I just came to see you."

"Please leave."

Perhaps it was the way he had dropped his strange rebellious speech pattern, or maybe it was the fact that he was being polite, or perhaps it was even the fact that he was not looking at her, but Kikyou decided that it would be best to leave and so she left and closed the door.

* * *

Inuyasha looked down and tears started falling again. What was his problem? Why couldn't he choose?

* * *

Kikyou looked back toward the room she had just came from and then stormed off towards Kagome's room, determined to give the younger girl a piece of her mind.

It turned out she gave more of a chunk.

A mere portion of the conversation was as follows.

"YOU DEVASTATED HIM! YOU RUINED HIS HEART! YOU BROKE HIM! HOW COULD YOU!"

"I did so only to prove my own innocence. He asked why I left, I asked why he told me to come back when it was clear I was in the way. He demanded why I had betrayed him for his brother. I told him it was not betrayal if you are no longer recognized as part of the group. He wanted you, he got you, someone else wanted me. Is it wrong to stay with those who actually care about you?"

"HE DID WANT YOU! HE LOOKED FOR YOU EVERYWHERE. HE TRIED TO FIND YOU! I TRIED TO TELL HIM TO JUST LET YOU GO, BUT NOOOO, HE KEPT ON GOING BACK AND HATING HIMSELF FOR IT!"

"I have no regrets. If he had cared he would have remembered me that day. The one he wanted was you. If he found you so displeasing afterwards it was his fault."

The conversation went on like this for some time on the outside, but in her heart Kagome wanted her blasted sister to leave so that she could go and talk to Inuyasha. She wanted to understand and try and bridge the gap. The truth was she would never be able to give him up.

The argument eventually brought in Inutaishou who put an end to Kikyou's antics by sending her out of the room. Inutaishou turned to Kagome.

"When will the wolf boy be arriving?"

"Sometime tomorrow. I put out a Sending yesterday, but he will need to gather his troupes and he can't travel as quickly anymore. Giving up the shards hindered him. Even though he is still fast he is bringing others with him. I would expect him late, near midnight when he can speed up his men."

"Will he bring others?"

"Right now he's just trying to make it with his men to get them out in the barracks. He wants a fore set up quickly. Aup has been sending him dreams. He knows what my Sending was for. Supplies and people will arrive later and settle in the valley near here."

"Good, what of the younglings?"

"Nothing can be done for Rin. She was simply out of time, like Kikyou. We're lucky she's so close as is. She may speed up once Shippo is released though."

"The kitsune? He's not out of time as well. The others would profess to it."

"They don't know what to look for. The Lady trained me to recognize suppression instantaneously. He has no clue that he's that much older. His father forgot as well. He has no idea how old he really is."

"Will the growth affect his mind?"

"Maturity and intelligence as he used to have. Rin will try and catch up subconsciously as she sees those around her becoming what they were. She will likely mature that quickly as well. It will be difficult to go through that, but I think she can handle it."

"So it will all be as it should. We should tell them of the arrangements and –"

"No, we can't afford to lose their interest so quickly. They could have changed, you don't know. Koga developed feelings for me that he did not have last time. We have to be cautious. We don't know what could happen."

"I suppose that you are right. Now, I will need you to hand the jewel to either Izayoi or Kikyou by the end of the week. I don't know if Izayoi can wield it anymore, so you may have to hand it over to Kikyou."

The look she gave him could have dissolved Fate.

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"I mean that the jewel isn't meant for Kikyou."

"Impossible, she is the older and needs it."

"Would it be alright if I took up sword fighting with you and your sons instead of certain lessons?"

"Absolutely not. Why on earth would I let you do that? Ridiculous notions really!"

"So, you don't remember, do you?"

"Remember what?"

Kagome waved away the comment and asked him to leave. He did, but grudgingly. He was very puzzled. What on earth could she mean?

Kagome watched him walk away and smiled to herself. It was no wonder he had insulted her earlier. He had not recollection of what she had become, what she had been born to.

Kikyou would not get the jewel. She was not supposed to. Her job was to marry well and keep the alliance I the kingdom. Kagome's job was to protect Ru-Chan.

It was no wonder their jobs had been switched. Kikyou would never have been able to accept Ru-Chan's often violent disregard for the rules. Kagome had no intention of becoming a daintily little princess to improve relations.

The problem was that people in this era had a thing for 'male dominance' particularly demons. Her objective before had been to try to not displease. Now it was going to be more "I am dangerous and you don't know why. I have power and if you don't give me what I want I could very well ruin your life."

Kagome knew it would be hard to try and gain her freedom, despite her power. But she was willing to fight for it. It had been a long time since she had had such a good fight on her hands.

Kagome left her room and went down the hall to Aup's room, intent on one more discussion before she confronted Inuyasha.

* * *

Aup's door burst open and Kagome strode in and then settled into the chair by the desk. Aup stopped midway through re-alphabetizing his books to look at her.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

"Of course. But I didn't feel like it. Besides, I knew you were organizing your books and wouldn't have answered the door even if I had knocked."

Aup turned around and went back to filing.

"Was there something you needed or do you merely wish to pester me. I have no intention on giving you advice concerning the half demon and your relationship. You must bungle through that one on your own."

"I didn't come to talk about that."

"Shock me."

"He doesn't remember my status. I don't think he knows that you will follow my orders in a pinch."

"Not surprising. It would be dangerous for even those who used to know you to know now. We haven't established true control yet. If we were to fail you might lose control and have to leave them behind."

"Would Izayoi know? She placed the spell."

"She might. She did seem to have more respect for you out there and she stood up to her husband in your defense despite his disdain for your actions. I would think it very likely to be that way."

"So why can't he know."

"I think that Izayoi might be able to understand and accept it better than he would. He is coming back from a past of difficulty. He is set in his ways, while Izayoi has been in a predicament similar to yours and is much more understanding."

"Well, I don't mind. I don't really want him to know anyway. I was just wondering if you knew. When should I change Shippo?"

"Next full moon. He is going to have a hard enough time living in his room in that time. Make sure that you are here and that you are supplied well enough to change him."

"No sweat. I'll just get Ru to send me back if anything happens. She has way too much energy too so I can just mooch off her if I need to. Personally I think it's going to be hard to get out of this pit for even a moment, so I don't think I'll be going anywhere anytime soon."

"True. Tell me, am I a little too… uptight?"

Kagome leaned back in the chair and let out great peals of laughter. Aup growled at this answer, but he had figured that it was coming.

* * *

Rin was tired and her arms hurt. But the picture looked nice, she realized. She had never had proper lessons, but something inside of her knew this room and knew this paper and knew this pencil in her hand. It all made sense. She didn't know why it was like this, but she was glad.

Thinking of refreshing herself, Rin walked outside and tried to think about finding the garden. It was surprisingly easy and she walked the beautiful paths in silence on her own for a while.

After she had gone round a few turns she realized that she was hopelessly lost. Smiling to herself she decided there could be worse places and kept moving forward only vaguely hoping to find the exit soon.

She saw a flash of red and silver up ahead and went to investigate.

Inuyasha could smell the human girl coming his way, but did not look up when she entered the little grove he was in.

"Excuse me."

Inuyasha refused to answer.

"Hey mister, its rude not to respond to other people you know."

"I would think you would be use to it traveling with Sesshomaru." The words escaped his mouth before he could stop himself.

Rin just shrugged it off then smiled widely.

"I got you to talk."

"Yeah, so what. Go away, leave me alone."

"Nope, Rin won't. She wants to know the boy with funny ears."

"MY EARS AREN'T FUNNY!" Inuyasha yelled turning to face the girl who just smiled wider and laughed. Gasping through her tears she spoke.

"You're just like Nii-Chan. So defensive. Onee-Chan says the two of you should get along better, you're so alike."

Inuyasha blinked.

"Onee-Chan?"

"Kagome-Chan. My family. You're Nii-Chan's brother. Does that mean that you'll be my family too?"

Looking at the little girl made Inuyasha feel weird. She seemed to see things that others didn't think she could, but she seemed so innocent too.

"I guess. I can't why you'd want me in your family. Kagome hates me, so does Sesshomaru." He looked up in surprise as the little girl started laughing again. "What! What's so funny!"

Rin just kept laughing.

"She knows better than you do is all."

Inuyasha looked up and stared as Kagome walked into the place and petted the little girl on the head.

"Here Rin. You can use this map to visit somewhere else in the garden and still be able to find your back out again."

Rin could take a hint. She grabbed the paper and dashed off humming. Kagome watched her fondly. Then she turned to Inuyasha and sat down on a bench across from him.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha was having trouble digesting the situation. It seemed a little to hard to even swallow. Kagome had come to talk to him and wanted to do so alone.

"About what?"

"About her knowing better than me, that's what. Why are you even here?" His tone was sharp and made his words even shaper. He immediately bit his lip regretting his words. The look in Kagome's eyes hurt.

"Do you want me to leave?"

Her voice was quiet and contained, and Inuyasha knew too late that it was a test, and he had failed.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Hope you liked it. Things are beginning to unfold. Review please!


	23. Making Up

Ru-Chan: I saw a while bunch of these chapters sitting around in my documents and thought what the heck. It's almost over anyway. So to those of you who are actually left, here's another one for you. Next update might not be for a bit. Hope you liek the chapter. R&R!

* * *

"Kagome… Kagome I-"

"Don't. I don't want anymore excuses. I tried to put up with them. I won't. Not anymore."

She stood up to leave and Inuyasha rushed over to grab her arm, gently, just in case. She turned and looked at him.

"What do you want now? I don't have anything to give you. You made your choice. You told everyone what it was. I don't need this from you. If you regret your choice, then too bad. I've made mine."

Inuyasha firmed his grip and pulled her closer.

"Don't go, please. I have to tell you something."

"I don't want to hear it anymore. I've moved on."

"Please just stay a moment. I have to tell you. Please?"

Kagome relaxed in his grip and started to walk back toward the bench. Inuyasha let go and went back to his.

"Well, what do you want now?"

Inuyasha swallowed. He was not exactly sure what he wanted to say but he knew that if she left the garden he would never be able to say it. Even if he could say it, she would not accept it.

"I don't understand why you chose to be with my brother, and I don't understand why you ran away, and I don't understand why you didn't bother to tell us why you left."

"So what?"

"I want to understand."

"Anything else?"

"I'm sorry. I was stupid and even if you never forgive me I have to say it otherwise I won't be able to 'move on'."

Kagome was silent. She was not quite expecting this. It was hard, she realized. Hard to let it go, that feeling of needing a person. Was this how Ri-Chan and Set-Chan felt. She shook her head and looked into those amber eyes.

She smiled.

"Fine, I forgive you." She held out her hands and said diplomatically, "Shall we be friends again?"

Inuyasha smiled and grabbed her hand and shook it once as he stood then pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Friends."

Kagome hugged him back and they pulled apart, look at each other and started laughing.

* * *

Sesshomaru left his room. It held no interest to him any longer. On the breeze he smelled Rin in the garden. He headed in that direction.

As he entered the maze he ran into Rin who giggled and ran up to him and hugged him. He picked her up and settled her on his shoulder.

"I talked to your brother, Nii-Chan."

"Really, what did he say?"

"I asked him if since he was your brother and you were my brother if he was my brother too. He said he didn't mind, but Onee-Chan would."

"What did you say?"

"I laughed. Then Onee-Chan came and gave me a map so that I could find my way back out again."

In the distance Sesshomaru could hear peals of laughter. He was willing to bet that his brother little sister were making up. It did not bother him, he was glad that she would be able to really smile again.

He and Rin stalked the garden in the hopes that they would run into the rest of their family, which they did, and proper introductions were made in the way of the young girl.

"Rin, huh. Well hi Rin. Nice to meet you."

Inuyasha bowed to the young girl who giggled in delight. Sesshomaru smiled at this. He had a feeling the two of them would have gotten along well.

"Can I touch your ears?" the young girl inquired innocently.

"Sure, what ever," was the docile reply. Inuyasha squatted so that she could reach. Rin gently grabbed both ears and rubbed her fingers over them, giggling at the delight of how soft they were.

Kagome patted the girl on the head and left the garden. All that remained were the two brothers and the small girl.

"Can I have a piggy back ride?" she asked tentatively to the half demon.

He smiled slightly.

"Fine, up you go."

He hoisted her onto his shoulders and ran her around in circles in the garden for a while. She laughed and Sesshomaru watched in amusement. Soon, the sky got dark and it was time for them to go inside for dinner.

* * *

It was an informal evening, and the servants still had to be rehired. Still, the food was good and the room was pleasant. The ceiling was vaulted and the room was bright. In the center of the room there was a long table.

At the head of the table sat Inutaishou with Izayoi on his right and Kikyou on his left. The others were permitted to sit wherever they wished and soon the meal was over.

After supper, everyone went to a small room and sat down to do small activities. No one spoke much. Almost everyone was reading silently to themselves. It was a time to remember.

Miroku was reading through some of his old reports and writing down all the seals and barriers that needed to be refreshed after years of no use.

Kikyou was reading a book on court etiquette while Izayoi and Inutaishou looked over servant names and whispered among themselves who they knew still and who they would need to find.

Aup was reading some old reports while petting Kirara who sat on his lap and read with him. Shippo was sitting next to Rin who was showing him the finer points of drawing the fire they were sitting near with charcoal.

Sesshomaru was looking through his old journal entries, from when he was apparently 10 or so, and trying to remember what the heck he had written about all those years ago.

Inuyasha was reading a book on sword technique in the hopes of finding out how he had managed to beat his father.

Kagome had a white shirt in her hand and was stitching a design on it. Her hands moved deftly, pulling a strange colored thread through with a fine needle. She was smiling slightly and imagining her finished product. It was a gift for Set-Chan.

Sango was looking through papers of weapons and equipment that she had in the barracks and was checking off items that she had seen earlier and had counted. She stopped at one point and looked up from the paper.

"Sir, I think you said I was in charge of the army and soldiers, sir."

Inutaishou looked up from his list.

"Yes, I suppose I did. Why?"

"Well, I have a list here that says I have so many soldiers sir, and it has names sir. But there aren't any soldiers here sir. I have no idea where to start looking. I don't even know what race they are."

Inutaishou stared at her for a moment before turning to Kagome.

"How soon till they get here."

"Soon."

"What time?"

"Can't be sure."

"How many of them will be old ones."

"All of them."

"All?"

"Yes, only those who are of significance to the ruling of Fate were displaced. A small unknown man is not a threat like a goddess is."

"I see. Well then Sango, your army will be here soon. I hope that you will give them at least one day off to get ready. They have had a long journey."

"Who are they sir, if it's not to bold to ask."

"An ally and his kin."

"Koga," came the reply from across the room where Kagome was sitting.

Inuyasha tensed in the corner but said nothing. Rin looked up at Sesshomaru who placed a hand on her head. Kagome stared at Sesshomaru who merely nodded slowly. She shook her head in disgust then leaned back in her chair and set her project beside her.

* * *

Time passed and soon everyone went to bed except Kagome, Sango, and Inutaishou. Sango was going over old bunk charts and setting up name tags. Kagome helped her while Inutaishou watched the gate.

All of a sudden Kagome tensed and looked up from her work at the table in the barracks. She dashed outside and to the gate. Inutaishou gave her a questioning look but turned and sniffed the air when she stared intently down the path.

Minutes passed and the sound of light marching feet could be heard in the distance. It was another ten minutes before the first rank cleared the hill and came into view. The gate opened and the troops marched in with Koga and Ayame in the front. They seemed happy to Kagome, but she noticed that Koga did not greet her in the usual fashion with a devote promise of his undying love. Kagome hoped that Ayame's dedication and sincerity had pushed it off a cliff.

She showed them and their soldiers the way to the barracks where Sango was waiting. When all the men had been settled Sango, Koga, Ayame, Kagome, and Inutaishou all settled down in the reading room for a talk.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Well, watcha think. Wanna review please. Pretty please. Anything you want to say? At all? Please.


	24. Run Away

Ru-Chan: Here's the new chapter. Hey, I still need another review for Seal my Soul so that I can update. If you haven't yet please do update. R&R!

* * *

"It's nice to see you again Koga. I am glad to see that you and Ayame are both in good health. How was your journey coming?"

"We had to push the men sir to keep them moving. I wouldn't have tried it but Kagome sent a powerful Summoning and I was twitchity until we passed through the gate."

"Sorry Koga. I didn't mean to push you so hard. I hope you will take advantage of your day off before duties."

"A day off, eh."

"Yes," Sango replied. "If what you say is true and you really did push your men, which I do believe you don't get me wrong, then you will need the rest. We had planed on you being a little tired anyway, but since you pushed so hard to get here now we will definitely be giving you a break."

"Well thanks. I don't suppose that you'll want to talk to them in the morning anyway just to explain how things will be set up."

"That's a good idea. Sir, I may leave breakfast early to talk to our troops."

"Certainly, that is a very good idea."

"There's just one thing. I have foot soldiers that can fight like mad men if they need to, but they suck at spy missions and getting things done quietly. I could also always use more backup, just in case."

"I believe that Kagome is working on that as we speak. It will be some time, but we hope to have a system of spies and alerts set up all over, as well as other forces to help if need be."

"Is it too much to ask who will be in charge of this. I know that the three of us, being Koga, Sango and I will have our hands full with the troops. We will want to know what's happening, but we will be trying to balance a budget and get new recruits."

"There will be someone else in charge of managing the spy network," came the crisp reply from Kagome. "We will have him report his findings to you, but he will sort most everything first."

"Good. I don't suppose that there is anything else that you would like to talk about?"

"Inutaishou may be done, but I have something I wanted to say."

"Yes Kagome?" said Koga.

"It is best that we expect mostly help from only ourselves for the time being, but I would be willing to bet that I the near future we will be able to get connections stable with people from the other side of the well. Egypt is merely one old ally that we may be able to rely on, and I have personal connections I can touch if needs arise. But I will need to be in charge of communications and such with this."

The others in the room knew that this comment was mostly directed at Inutaishou, but no one said anything. Koga looked from the demon to the miko princess worriedly, but said nothing. Finally Inutaishou spoke.

"They are your connections, you will work with them as you must, but I will not find you on the battlefield at any time even under their banner. If they are good connections they will have leaders of their own. We will not need to have you out there _ever_."

The last word was said with a dark and repressive emphasis, but Kagome did not seem deterred.

"I understand your feelings," came her reply. The demon nodded and dismissed the group. Everyone headed for bed.

* * *

Koga and Ayame's rooms were very similar. They were just outside the barracks, and were caves of a sort. They each had personal items and desks and Ayame had some tapestries on her walls. The beds were comfortable and were brown in color. Both were satisfied and went to bed.

* * *

Despite how tired she was and how comfortable the bed was Ayame could not quite drift off to sleep. She kept thinking of what Kagome had said to Inutaishou.

He had accepted the answer, but Ayame knew that it was the answer Kagome wanted, not the demon. The wording had been just so as to not make nay real promises, and the demon lord had granted her permission anyway.

There were bound to be more disputes before long. Ayame only hoped that she was never caught in the middle of one. With that final thought she was able to drift off to sleep.

* * *

The morning sun rose, lighting everyone's eyes and calling them to greet the day. Breakfast was served to the small group and the soldiers were served in their own breakfast hall. Koga and Ayame would eat breakfast and lunch with them and only join the group for dinner.

Halfway through break fast, Sango excused herself and went out to the dining hall for the soldiers. She walked to the front of the room and was soon joined by Koga and Ayame.

"If everyone could please look up here!" Koga's voice rang out over the hall and startled a few people into a greater awakeness.

"Thank you Koga," Sango murmured. The wolf demon nodded and looked back out over the soldiers.

"I brought you here out of your homes because you had a duty to me and to the man we have come to serve. Your families will be joining us soon, but it was imperative that we got you lazy bums up here and working your tails off sooner than anything else. Now, I'm not in charge of you entirely. I get my orders from Sango here who runs everything. I just know you on a more personal basis so I now how to punish every one of you most effectively. You listen to her, got it. Or to Ayame. Any of us three are in charge of you lot."

Sango took over from there.

"Alright boys, now I now that you've had a long hard day, so I'm gonna give you today to learn the palace and rest up a bit. But there are some things you need to know. The territory we are going to cover will be extensive and some of you will not stay here. I will be assigning men as I see fit to go and organize local militia in the territory. I will give you some men maybe, but you will have to work with what you are given. We will have funds given to us to get weapons for you charges, but you will be responsible for everything that happens to them."

A general groan went up from the men.

"But before that, you will need to be trained in group combat of my variety. There will be some personal training and different things. But you need to work as a different sort of unit. Those of you not sent away with your families will stay here and keep training. You'll help with bigger problems throughout the realm and such. You will also deal with some bigger issues. You will get special training from me and his lordship so that you will be even more effective. We will be a great army, but I need you to cooperate with me. I will have a schedule posted tomorrow morning of what groups each of you will be in and what you will do first. You will go through rotation on getting weapons, being inspected, and getting some basic training in. No delay. Now eat up and have a nice day because you won't have another free day for a very long time."

When she had finished she bowed to them all and left. Once she had walked through the door Koga addressed the men again.

"I know that I said you were here to fight for the lord of this castle, but do not forget what I will now tell you. Lady Wolf was the one who Summoned us and so it is on her side we fight. If ever she should call us we are there for her first. Do not step out of line for any arguments that she will have with the lord, for we do not want to make it obvious, but should she ever need us or command us differently, we follow her. Understood?"

The men all nodded their heads. They had come not for the dog demon lord of now the northwest, but because their leader Koga had been Summoned by the Lady Wolf and had been asked to bring an army. They came for her first. But the demon slayer would not understand that. So they would follow differently.

* * *

Kagome stared up at her ceiling and sighed gently. Last night had been a Thursday, a group night. And she had missed it. They had done well without her; she had been there the whole time in Ru-Chan's mind. But it made her feel upset that she had not been able to go as well. It was something she enjoyed and was good at.

She stood up and strode over to the desk and flipped through some of the papers on her desk. They were a story she had written a very long time ago. It was a bittersweet tale and she knew that it had reflected her feelings at the time. But now she threw it away without a second thought. It meant nothing now.

The sun was reaching its peak in the sky, but Kagome did not feel like doing much of anything. What she desperately wanted was Ru-Chan's exuberant energy and sense of breaking the rules to help her do something fun. Sango and Miroku were busy with all kinds of work while Aup and Kirara were comparing notes. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were training with their father and Kikyou and Izayoi were going through all the old school things to see what the girls would need to be taught again.

She knew she could always go find Shippo and Rin, but she did not feel like being with younger children right then. What she really wanted was to go pick a fight, and for that she would need to leave. There was no way that she was going to ask Inutaishou for permission, he would lock her up after saying no so that she could not leave. Izayoi would smile and tell her to ask Inutaishou.

Knowing that there was no other way around it, Kagome went to find Aup.

* * *

Sensing him in the library she headed in that direction. Sunlight filtered through the windows and bounced around her on the tapestries and paintings in the hall. She knew that some of the paintings belonged to the skilled hand of Rin while some of the tapestries were her own, but she was pleased most with the ones that had been done by Ru-Chan. They seemed to not only be alive, but tell all of a story, not just a small part.

She opened the door to the library and poked her head in. Aup and Kirara were at a table in the front, leaning over some books and making notes. Both stood up and bowed to her when she walked in.

"Aup, if anyone asks later I'm through the well visiting my friends, alright."

"His lordship will be most displeased with your rash behavior and will likely punish you when you get back."

"I don't care right now. But I won't be back for a while anyway. Ri-Chan is starting and finishing her training soon and Rin-Chan should be done today. I want to be there for them like they were there for me. And I need to catch up on my school work. And my blood is boiling, so I think now would be a good time to try my irrational thoughts at fighting Ru-Chan."

Aup shook his head and waved her off while Kirara sat back down and picked up a pen to start taking notes again. Kagome shut the door and headed towards the main entrance.

Once outside she was very careful to make no noise. She did not think that any of the three people training would hear her, but she could not be sure what wolf demons would be about the place. She took the most complex route through the garden that she could think of and focused on dragging her scent into her clothing. Soon she was at the front gate, but it was closed.

Looking at the height of the wall she smiled gently and leaped with all her might. She jumped over the wall and landed gently on the other side. Then she took off at a very fast pace and headed for the wood. Soon she reached the clearing with the well and jumped in enthusiastically.

* * *

A noise and bustle that meant school had just gotten out filled Kagome's senses. It excited her like nothing else. So technically today was not a day to go and do something with the entire group. But she should be able to go to the office and play games while feigning secretary duties for Seto.

She strode downtown at a deliberate pace, watching the people around her. It was so different in this time, and though she preferred the other, she was glad for the freedom this one offered to the female gender.

Eventually she came to a large white building and walked through the automatic doors. A security guard at a desk off to the left looked up and smiled.

"Ah, Agent Wolf. Boss said you may be in today."

"Got it from AC did he?" she asked.

"I should think so. But no one else came in today yet so you should be able to get to 'work' if you really want to."

"Thanks Frank," she called back as she strode toward a set of spiraling stairs in the center the large open room.

As she walked up the steps she wondered why Seto had decided to call them agents as opposed to just the code names. She put that thought away to ask on a rainy, tedious day.

Despite the fact that she was climbing the stairs to the top level, she moved fairly quickly and was soon there. Reaching the last level she looked down the hall towards the large office doors that marked the room of the stoic CEO of Kiaba Corporation. She strode towards the doors and rapped her knuckles on them a few times before waiting quietly.

A muffled, "Come in," reached her ears and she opened the door and slipped inside.

Seto was sitting at his desk, typing away furiously on his computer while trying to read a stack of papers next to him at the same time.

"Anyone planning on coming in later today?" Kagome asked hopefully.

"No," came the sullen reply. He did not even look up.

"Then I'll go change and be back in a bit."

Slipping back out the door, Kagome walked behind a desk that was set just outside the office. Placing her hand on the wall beside it she pushed gently and a door opened to a small closet. Looking on the left wall she picked out an outfit that watched her employers for the day and headed to the changing room she and her friends used.

When she came back her hair was up in a tight bun and she wore a pair of long black pants with silver trim, a silver white shirt, and a two button jacket also back and silver.

She knocked on the office door again, walked in when invited and strode over to the desk where her friend was still typing away.

"I don't suppose I could be doing either of those things for you, could I?" she asked mockingly. He looked up at her and gave her his best glare.

"I need you to read this report and have the briefest summary you can emailed to me in two hours so that I can review it for a meeting I have in three hours. I'm setting up a data presentation for my meeting tomorrow right now, so if you could please get the summary to me soon it would be most appreciated."

Kagome grabbed the report and walked back out of the room, opened the closet, and pulled out a laptop from the left wall. She booted it up and logged in with one hand as she started to read through the report with the other.

She spent most of the next two hours reading the report paragraph by paragraph and turning each one into a one sentence bit of information which she emailed as she was done. Within two minutes she got a reply and was told to read the attached documents and did the same for them.

The work was somewhat tiresome, but it was better than nothing and she felt useful rather than just a pretty little ornament to sit around and mope all day. She checked in with Aup a few times to see if anyone had noticed she was missing yet. He told her that since they had not yet had dinner she was still unnoticed.

The hours flew by as she typed up the report summaries on the computer and soon Seto came out and told her it was time to leave. She changed back into her old outfit and followed him downstairs where she met Mokuba and said goodnight to him and his brother.

* * *

Walking home she looked up into the star filled sky and smiled. The air was cool and felt good against her skin. She heard things talking all around her but paid them no heed. She was used to it by now. She decided to stop by Harry's for a quick dinner and then headed home.

As she closed her eyes to sleep she felt a bit guilty about having left with no explanation, but soon fell asleep and let it drift from her mind.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Well, watcha think of this chapter. I know its kinda random, but I realized that I wasn't including Kagome's friends as much as I had origionally intended. Thenext few will be mostly about them. Review please!


	25. Friends on the Other Side

Ru-Chan: I am full of much glee right now. Someone reviewed me! That makes two so it's time for an update. Yesssssss! Okay, this chapter might seem a bit random, especially in the grand scheme of things, but it is important to the "underlying" story. The truth is, this chapter and the second half of the last one was the real reason I wanted to post. Most of you probably don't know who Robin is. Robin is a character from Witch Hunter Robin and she has the ability to create and manipulate flames to a certain extent (to those of you who do know her I'm shortening the explanation for the readers sake). Some of you may not recognize Tohru from Fruits Basket, but that tends to be a little more popular these days. I'll rant more at the bottom.

Joe: Review please!

* * *

Kagome quickly turned off her alarm and slipped out of bed. She dressed herself in blue jeans and a white tee before sneaking downstairs and out the front door. It was almost midnight and almost time for Robin to get back from her training. Kagome ran along the sidewalk past houses and buildings. 

After ten minutes she found herself at the front gate of Seto's mansion. Not wanting to bother anyone she leaped over the fence and dashed around the house and into the back garden. The others were there and nodded at Kagome's arrival, but said nothing.

Time dragged by and soon it was only five seconds to midnight.

Four…

Three…

Two…

One…

Tohru lifted her hands and spread them wide apart in a fast sweeping motion. A large whole appeared in the air in front of her and a set of bright green eyes looked at the group in happiness and relief.

Kagome and Tohru reached through the hole and pulled their friend through. Robin stumbled a bit then straightened and smiled at everyone. Kagome wrapped her friend in a warm embrace, followed by everyone else, except for Seto. He just shook her hand.

She was led silently inside and given some food that Tohru had prepared for her. Once she had swallowed some of the food and had been given time to breathe the others started to ask her questions.

"How was it out there? Were you lonely on your own?"

"I was lonely, but I survived, as you can see."

Everyone was silent for a few moments as they all remembered how Kagome had been when she got back. No one said anything though, for which she was grateful.

"So, you ready to go back to hunting witches now?" asked Serenity.

"Yeah, and I'm glad that I'm going to see Amon again."

The others exchanged knowing looks. She and Amon had returned to their previous coworkers after the number of renegade witches had skyrocketed in their absence. They had also managed to elude the STN Headquarters so they were able to assist without being bothered for their previous actions.

Ever since a certain incident which most of them still teased her about, she and Amon had become and official couple, but that was still unknown to all but them and the friends in the room.

"Stop it you guys. It's not like you don't have people you care about, really."

The others shrugged but Kagome looked away and blushed. This caught everyone else's attention.

"Gome-Chan, do you have something you would like to share with the rest of us, your true and loyal friends?" Serenity asked in her sweetest most innocent voice with sweetest most innocent face on. Kagome could not look at her.

"Ri, leave her be. You know she'd tell us if she wanted to." Tohru reprimanded gently. Serenity shrugged and smiled wryly. Kagome stood suddenly.

"I need to get back home. Mom doesn't know I'm gone. She'll freak out if I don't get back anytime soon."

The others nodded and all agreed that they would simply have to wait till a more sensible hour tomorrow to celebrate Robin's return. She agreed instantly, wanting to get home and take a real bath and eat processed food.

Kagome snuck back into her house and slipped into bed. She wondered briefly if Inutaishou would send Inuyasha down the well after her, but decided she would deal with that when the time came.

* * *

The next day the sun shone brightly overhead and Kagome relished in its light. Her attire was suited for the warm but breezy weather with a pair of loose white pants and a pale green shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail and she wore a pair of sturdy white shoes. 

She sat in the garden at Seto's house, laughing and joking with her friends. It was well into the afternoon and school had been out for a few hours. They had decided to have the party after school since Robin would want to get back to work and Serenity and Tohru would need to go to school.

"And then the thing charged, so I jumped over behind it and landed in a tree with no leaves and the thing turns around and looks right at me and then blinks and walks away."

The others laughed at this. Robin had a tendency to loose the interest of anyone once she jumped into a tree. She seemed too impossible to reach there.

Kagome leaned back in her chair and smiled at each of her friends. It was so nice to escape duty for a little while and be around people who were also in the business of fighting the life that fate had designed for them. She knew it could never last, but she would be willing to do anything to make it last as long as she could.

The days that followed were short and sweet. All too soon it was time for Serenity to leave and begin her training with Tohru. Kagome grasped her friends hand as she stepped through the portal and into a new life.

* * *

Kagome kept on working at Seto's the next day. She would talk to him and try and distract him from the fact that the person he cared about most was gone. Often, Robin would come as well at random points in the day as she ran errands that for some reason always brought her near to the office. 

A day later Tohru came back and reported that Serenity was doing fine and should be alright. Seto was visibly relieved at this and it was easier to make him relax over the next two days.

* * *

Finally, all four of the friends stood in the back of Seto's house and waited anxiously for the clock to count down. 

Five…

Would she be alright?

Four…

Would she even be there?

Three…

She had to be fine. It was after all, it was Serenity.

Two…

Just a moment longer. Was time slowing down?

One…

The last of the training would be complete. They would be ready.

Zero…

Tohru spread her arms out wide again and the gate opened. Kagome had to grab Seto and stop him from running in. Robin had to come over and helped her.

Serenity was not there.

"Be rational Seto, she may just be out for a bit. Let's wait." Tohru said softly.

Seconds passed, days on the other side. And still, Serenity did not come. Kagome looked over at Tohru. The girl would not show it, but she was _very _worried at this point. Kagome wondered if she should let Seto go.

"I'm going in. Seto, I want you to dome with me. Gome, Rin, you two stay here as anchors. We may take a bit." Kagome let Seto go and looked at Tohru worriedly for a moment before the other girl turned her head and walked through the gate.

Kagome and Robin sat down cross legged and fell into themselves, searching for the links to their friends. Serenity's was thin and hard to grasp.

"_I'll hold onto Seto, you grab Ru-Chan alright Gome."_

"_Sure, don't drain yourself, okay."_

"_I know better than that."_

The two of them sat like that for minutes as days passed by on the other side. The girls were worried, but said nothing. They knew better than to tempt Fate.

Finally Seto emerged followed by Tohru with Serenity in his arms. Both girls stood and rushed over to take the girl from their friends, but he would not let her go. He carried her into the house silently and the girls looked to Tohru for answers.

"Not now. I have to see to Ri." They nodded and followed her into the house.

* * *

Some time later while Robin, Kagome, and Seto were all sitting in the living room Tohru came down and flopped down onto a chair across from Robin. 

"She'll be fine, I think. I think she hit a self reflective point and dug too deep into herself. She should be alright with a bit of rest, but she had fallen into the trap of feeling useless at point where her body and mind were so well connected that she did physical damage to herself as she thought of every bad thing in her and her life."

"But you helped her, right. So she'll be fine now."

"I had to go into her heart and fix it myself. I hate doing that, but she made a novice mistake in a place where it really cost her. I hope she'll forgive me. She may see a bit over spunky when she gets up, but she'll get back to normal in a few days. Might even help with her hiding everything from her brother."

No one said anything at this. Everyone knew that Serenity had always had problems hiding her independent, energetic, and sometimes violent self from her brother and his friends.

It did not help that she was never really around them anymore and they always seemed to show up at random, sometimes uncomfortable times.

They also said nothing about Tohru fixing her heart. She had the ability to use emerald fire, the calming flame. It was a healing power where ruby fire destroyed and warmed, it cooled and relaxed.

Tohru hated using it. She felt, because it could be used to directly get rid of pains in the heart, that it was cheap and despicable. The fact that she had used it on Serenity showed the devastating state that the girl had been in when she was found.

Kagome went home, feeling tired and confused. She would have to go back soon, but she could not do that until Serenity had been taken care of. This meant changing her original plans of only being gone for a little while. She would have to inform Aup of this change.

* * *

Late that night Kagome lay on her pillow and looked up at the great white blank space that was her ceiling here. She longed for the comfort of her room back in the Feudal Era, but knew better than to even think of going back for a night. She was needed here right now. Nothing would ever change that.

* * *

Sesshomaru sat in his study, reading over some more of the papers he had written, apparently older in his life. They were dull, speaking in great detail of the tedious customs of banquets and such and occasionally of Kagome's antics which would bring great light to an evening. 

He noticed that she never seemed to get caught.

A gentle knock came at his door and he hailed the person to enter. Inuyasha slipped through the door and settled on the wall after closing it.

"Yes."

"I just wondered what you were doing. I didn't think you'd need much sleep since we've all been lazing about. No amount of training ever seems to bother you."

"No, but it seems to greatly exhaust you. Why on earth are you up so late?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"I told you to stop thinking about going after her. I talked to Aup. He seems to think she's fine, but needs time away from a certain someone we all know. Relax. Enjoy life. Now that the servants are back things aren't quite so dull around here."

"I know. I'm just bored. It's the same thing everyday. It's just so tedious to go and do nothing all the time. I think I want to go on an adventure again. Face peril. Make mistakes. Fight with friends. It would be fun to get out of here for a while."

"You're right, it would be fun."

"You know the guards were told to listen to whatever orders you and I gave at any time, right?"

Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow in interest.

* * *

Ru-Chan:Some of you may be a bit confused and others of you are probably bouncing off the walls or clucthing your heads in pain and lack od understanding. This is a normal reaction to my writing. Let me explain. 

For those of you who know Tohru- I hate it when the main heroin of a story is a ditsy idiot who helps everyone with her stupidity and random quotes (cough cough). But I liked certain aspects of Tohru's life, and so I... adjusted her past to suit my needs. You won't see her background story in this fanfic, not likely anyway. But Tohru seems to have this inexplicable calming and loving nature about her that can make people melt. I gave it a purpose. I "created"(I'm not sure if anyone came up with it first, apologies if you have) the emrald flame power. along with the ability to literally heal the soul it can heal flesh wounds and such and has the ability to create a calming aura around it. She has other powers as well, such as the ability to open interdemesional gates through time, space, and choice. But in my ongoing plot line that I have been working on in my head, Tohru is extremely powerful.

For those of you who know Robin- Robin has the ability in my stories to do some extra stuff with fire. She's not limited to creating it in certain place. She also has a special type of fire which was part of the "certain incident" afore mentioned in this chapter. I brought her and Amon back to the STN because they needed something to do in their spare time. And I made them a couple. It was going to happen, so don't you dare complain about it. Anyone could have figured it out.

For those of you well aquainted with Seto and Serenity- I have not ever been in on the Seto/Kisara loop. I have heard mention of it and have deduced from many readings what happened. But this is my world and things are going to be different. Seto, old hearted CEO of Kiaba Corp. has fallen for his demi-archrival's (Joey is not as big a rival as Yugi/Yami)sister who returns his regards in full. Problem... the brother. I won't bring up that story very much in here, but Serenity has major fights with Joey once he finds out, and some with Kiaba as well. Also, it may not be as hard to see Kiaba being a fighter in many ways, but some people probably don't understand why I chose Serenity to be part of the group. The truth is I just couldn't see the sister of Joey Wheeler being a whimp. Hewas a bully after all. It just doesn't seem right. Why does the complete idiot get all the fame and power. No, absolutely not. Serenity has the ability to use a staff with startling strength. She is powerful and dangerous and has trouble hiding the fact that on a regular basis she goes and beats people and things up from her brother and his friends. Don't complain, you know, you _know_ that she was just meant to be like this. So get over it. And the two of them make a cute couple.

Alright, sorry to those of you who don't like long rants. You're welcome to those of you who do. Some things just can't be explained in frankness in the story. If you have questions, please don't be afraid to ask. I may need to write another long rant however, so be careful please. Oh, and what is Inuyasha's plan thing. Keep reading!

Review! Need two for next chapter.


	26. Retrieval and Growth

Ru-Chan: Here you go, the next chapter. Sorry if it feels random. Surprise at the end. Enjoy.

Joe: You're evil. Truly.

Ru-Chan: Shut up. slaps

* * *

Kagome pulled her hair out of her face and looked up at the ceiling. She had flopped onto her bed without a second thought the moment she had entered her room. Her own training flashed in bits and pieces before her eyes.

She had gone to see Serenity as soon as she had woken up the next day. Now she was ready to go back. Everything that had happened made her worry about her friends on the other side of the well.

She knew that Aup would have contacted her if anything had gone wrong, but she worried about the little things more.

But she also knew that she could not go back until she had gone to school for at least a week. Her mother was horribly worried about her studies, even though she did not really need to learn what she already knew.

"I guess I have to wait and go back later…" she mumbled to the darkness.

* * *

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru walked calmly towards the gate. They had "randomly" chosen the time when the guard switched, just in case no one would be there. They were in luck this time.

Kaede had explained that she knew nothing of how the well chose who could go through, but Aup had been a bit more helpful. They could both hear him even now.

"_The truth is you can get through at anytime that Kagome is there, but only if she thinks you're safe. Inutaishou can't go, he has never been on her good side. But she doesn't hate either of you. Go for it."_

"_We never said we were going," Sesshomaru stated._

"_You didn't need to. But, because you didn't tell me you were interested in crossing though the well, I can't say that you mentioned traveling in the well if your father comes and asks," he stated mischievously._

Both of them had thanked him and had planned to leave that night. Kagome had been gone around a week and the castle was awfully boring without her to pester their father and liven things up.

Kikyou was miserable company. She made that everyone knew she was even breathing politely.

They reached the gate and noticed that no one was around. They leapt over the wall with ease and landed as softly as they could on the other side.

Miroku had placed protective spells all around only the day before and their freshness concealed the two men's scents. They dashed along to the well and hopped in, hoping for a miracle.

A bright light surrounded them and they landed at the bottom of the well gently. But they could both smell the different scents in the air and brightened at their success. Then they both hopped out of the well and walked out of the small shrine.

"Should we knock on her window?" Sesshomaru asked skeptically.

* * *

Kagome blinked awake. She had only been asleep for twenty minutes, but those had been a perfectly deep slumber. She wondered what had jarred her awake at this time of night.

Looking down at herself she noticed that she had fallen asleep in her clothing. Her jeans and black tee were crumpled, but presentable.

It was then she noticed the two energy signatures that she was so familiar with and sighed. She walked over to her window and looked down in time to see Sesshomaru ask his question.

She flung open the window and jumped down to the ground below. The two of them blinked in surprise.

"So, are you here as an embassy to drag me back, or did you come of your own accord to drag me back?"

"Neither," replied the ever negotiable Sesshomaru. "We came to spend time with a person ten more times interesting than her sister. And more rowdy too. How can you stand her?"

"I don't. She's half the reason I left. It's her breathing, any one can hear it but it's not too loud. Urrrgggg!"

"Yeah, we had noticed that," Inuyasha commented.

"I'm sorry. I would have invited you to come with me, but there's not much to do here if you know what I mean. It's kinda hard to have dog ears or claws and walk around downtown."

"It's okay Kagome. We'll think of something. Even if we do have to go back."

"No, you shouldn't have to do that. I'll take you to Set-Chan's house tonight, right now if you're not too tired. I'll have to go to school all week long, and then we have to go back. But Seto knows about you two so it'll be okay."

"He knows about us?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yeah, but it's okay. He has to know about you anyway. It's his job to set up the Egyptian Kingdom so that the alliance of the old days can come back. He has to know about you."

"Really, you know them already?"

"The people he's guiding, yeah. I have connections with most of the other kingdoms as well, even the inter-galactical ones."

"Is that a word?"

"Yes."

"Right."

* * *

The three of them had left Kagome's yard at this point and were headed towards Kiaba's. They raced across rooftops and trees, reaching his house only a little while later. The lights were still on.

"Come on, we'll go in through the back," Kagome beckoned. The other two looked nervously at the very large building. "Come on you two," she coaxed once more. They followed this time.

Kagome opened the back door and sent out her senses. She could only feel the two, no make that three, life forms that she had left here earlier. But Mokuba was asleep upstairs, and even if he had been awake he was no stranger to this sort of thing.

"Set-Chan, I'm back, and I have friends with me this time!" she called out loud enough to be heard but not so much that she woke the boy upstairs.

"What do you mean you have friends with you… oh," the words hung in mid air as he walked into the room.

"I hope you don't mind. They came to visit but I don't have room at my house."

"Feh, sure, whatever. Bring them in so Ri can see them. She'll want to know who it is."

The four of them walked back to the living room that Seto had come from. Serenity was sitting on the couch with a book opened on her lap. She looked up and smiled as everyone entered the room.

"Well well, they came after you I take it Gome-Chan?" she smiled in a knowing way and Kagome waved a hand in dismissal. "Nice to meet you. I'm Serenity Wheeler," she said, extending her hand to the nearest of the two men, Sesshomaru.

He took it and shook it and then let Inuyasha do the same. Both were slightly confused by this manner of greeting, but neither was completely stupid.

"Sesshomaru, and that is my younger half brother, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru replied smoothly. Serenity smiled brightly.

"And I'm Seto Kiaba," said a voice behind them, the one that had brought them into the room.

"I guess you three will be staying here all week then, won't you? Serenity asked cheerfully. Kagome nodded and the other two looked at her.

"It would be no fun to have to travel between here and home all week long. I will go to school during the day, but I'll tell Mom I'm staying at a friend's house. I'll call and leave a message right now. She doesn't know I came home, so it'll be okay."

The others nodded in acceptance.

"So, I guess I should show you to your rooms and get you some changes of clothes. Kagome, you know where you're staying I would hope," Seto said blandly.

"Yes," she replied in exasperation.

"Fine, you two follow me," he beckoned towards Sesshomaru and Inuyasha and they followed him up a large set of stairs.

"Here's your Sesshomaru. I'll see if I can get some of my old things for you to wear. I'll have them cleaned by morning." Sesshomaru was slightly surprised to notice that Kiaba was the same height as he was. Most people were not even close.

Sesshomaru walked into the room and looked around. The walls were a pleasant shade of grey, and the room had a very dim nature to it while not seeming dark and dreary. Sesshomaru was quite pleased with it.

Down the hall Seto led Inuyasha into his own room.

"Here's where you'll be staying. I'll see if I can get some of my really old stuff cleaned for you. That might fit. If not I can get something brought in and then you can go shopping or something tomorrow."

"Kagome might object," Inuyasha was quietly. Kiaba had a very powerful presence around him. To his surprise Seto smirked.

"Yeah, she might. But I have a hat somewhere. And at least you don't have a moon on your forehead. That's going to be a mess."

Inuyasha chuckled at this and walked into the room while Kiaba shut the door behind him. It was a nice room. A large window on the opposite wall was covered by silver curtains which actually went nicely with the gold color on the walls.

Inuyasha immediately fell onto the bed and went to sleep.

* * *

Kagome walked into her room and walked over to a small nightstand where she picked up a cell phone and dialed her home phone number.

In order to avoid her friends and Hojo, Kagome had convinced her mother to buy a phone with an answering machine. She could now pretend that her grandfather had deleted the message.

The phone rang a few times before the machine picked up.

_Hey Mom, it's Kagome. It got late and I know how you hate me traveling the roads so late at night. I'm gonna spend the night here and head to school in the morning, so don't have Grandpa call me in sick okay. I'll be staying here the rest of the week because some friends from out of town are here and we're all gonna take the chance to celebrate. If you need me call my cell. Bye mom._

Kagome looked around her room and smiled. It was not like the one back home, but it was not bad either.

The walls were a white that was almost silver. They sparkled even in the dark. The curtains and bedding were silver and soft. Kagome flopped down on the bed and fell asleep.

She was so tired.

* * *

Kagome woke up and got ready for school early that day and left with Serenity to head for school. Kiaba woke up Mokuba and made sure some clothes got sent up to the rooms of the tow visitors.

He had managed to find jeans that fit both of them and had scrounged up some shirts all over the place. He himself got ready to go to work.

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha came down dressed in the jeans and two tee shirts. Sesshomaru's was black while Inuyasha's was a bright red. The two of them had breakfast and were introduced to the younger Kiaba, Mokuba.

Both of them thought that he was very much like Rin in some ways.

"I have to go to work and Mokuba has school. There isn't much to do around here I'm afraid, at least when other people aren't around. I can show you the training room and the library. The servants know where paper and writing stuff is if you want to do that. I can also show you how to use the game systems if you're interested," Seto said before he left.

"Are they the kind of games that I always see Kagome's brother playing?" Inuyasha asked.

"The same type of games, yeah, most likely. Only mine probably have better graphics."

"Right, we may try those while you are gone. Do you mind showing us before you leave?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Sure come on."

Kiaba led them into his game room where a very large TV screen occupied the entirety of one very large wall. He showed them how to set up and use each and every one of his machines and how to figure out how to play the games. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were both very impressed with everything.

Once they had proved that they could set up the systems without scratching anything with their claws, Seto left them and took Mokuba to school on his way to work.

* * *

When Kagome got back that afternoon with Mokuba and Serenity she was surprised to see Inuyasha and Sesshomaru both playing video games. From the looks in their eyes and the movements in their fingers she deduced they had been on all day long.

"Alright you two, one of you get off. It's my turn," she said, breaking them form their vegetative state, and earning Sesshomaru the victory.

"Loser leaves," he stated firmly and Inuyasha did not argue.

"Kagome, kick his sorry butt for me would you." Inuyasha said.

"Sure, but Ri-Chan gets on next anyway."

"Sure, whatever."

Kagome won. But then she lost to Serenity. And Mokuba lost after that. But then Inuyasha managed to get a win in.

The games went on until Kiaba came home and made everyone have dinner.

The rest of the week passed by in a similar manner. Kiaba came home early a few times to join the tournaments, but it stayed mostly the same all week long.

At the end of the week Serenity was dubbed champion, though most agreed this was because Kiaba had not been able to play most of the time so they could not count him.

"Well, I guess we had better be going," Kagome said as the Saturday morning light streamed through the window.

"It was fun," Inuyasha stated.

"It was nice to have you over," Kiaba replied. "Stay safe and try not to kill people who you're not supposed to Kagome." She stuck her tongue out at him and started walking away, soon to be followed by Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

They took to the roofs after a little while and tried to pick ones with plenty of shadows so that they would not be noticed.

Soon they had arrived back at Kagome's house. She grabbed some stuff from home, said goodbye to her family, and headed out to the well where the other two were waiting for her.

"Ready to endure a royal reprimand," she joked.

"Ready as ever," they both replied.

* * *

Inutaishou was not yelling. In fact he was smiling. But he was smiling one of those smiles that said, "I just ate a busload of children but I'm still hungry."

And yet none of the three in front of him were flinching. They all knew he was so angry that he was beyond yelling. But none of them were afraid. They all knew he could beat them into within an inch of death, but he couldn't kill them. And they had all learned how to talk their way out of things.

"So you are telling me Kagome, that you left because you were bored, and my sons now tell me that they followed you, getting a week behind training schedule because they were bored as well," he said in a very low voice.

"Yes," there was no weakness in this statement.

"You will report to each of your teachers for special assignments and you two will come with me," he hissed.

Kagome shrugged and walked out while Inuyasha and Sesshomaru stood up and followed their father to the training field.

* * *

The table at dinner was missing two people, but Inutaishou refused to acknowledge the fact that his sons were missing. No one had to ask.

After dinner Kagome approached the enraged demon lord in the hallway to the sitting room when everyone else had left.

"I suppose you want to try and lessen yours or their punishment," he sneered when she walked up to him.

"I want Shippo in the center of the garden before the moon has reached its peak, at least an hour before so I can explain it to him."

Inutaishou was taken back by her words but quickly composed himself and said, "Fine."

Kagome headed to the infirmary rather than to the sitting room. Her teachers had given her work, but she would rather do it in pleasant company.

"Hello Kagome," Sesshomaru said when she walked in. Inuyasha merely lifted his hand. His jaw was broken. Rin, who had been sitting on a stool and sketching rushed over and gave Kagome a hug.

"Hey guys. I think I'll spend the evening working on my etiquette stuff in here. I'd rather be among friends tonight."

"Onee-Chan can stay," said Rin happily.

Kagome smiled at the little girl and ruffled her hair, knowing that in a month or so she would not be so little anymore.

"So, are you enjoying yourself?"

"I am. Poor Inuyasha over there can't talk so he has to try and sign everything he needs. And he can't eat anything until tomorrow. Then he can only have soup and stuff like that."

Kagome noticed that being in her world for a week had really changed how Sesshomaru spoke. He had broken away from his old speech and could have passed for normal in any on line or phone conversation. But the claws and markings…

Kagome shrugged and started writing about all the different ways to bow and address people of different ranks. She was done soon enough. Eventually both she and Rin were shooed out so that they could go to bed.

* * *

Kagome went out to the garden and sat in the center, waiting patiently for Shippo to arrive. He arrived right on time looking confused and worried.

"Hey Shippo, you okay?" Kagome asked lightly.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Well guess what, you're not in trouble. I just need to talk to you about something."

"What?"

"You know how everyone has a job here, doing on thing or another. Well, you're a fox demon. The only problem is that you're not the age you think you are. When you were really little someone put a spell on you and made you and your dad forget your life before. All the stuff in your room is too big because you're supposed to be older."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and you have a very important job. You are in charge of the spy network. Because you're a fox demon you have access to more forest demons and animals. They trust you in ways that they would never trust a wolf. It's going to be your job."

"Will I be tall enough that Inuyasha will stop picking on me?"

"It's likely, but Inuyasha picks fights with his brother remember."

"Oh yeah."

"So we're here so that I can break the spell for you. Okay?"

"Yeah."

They waited for the moon to hit its peak and Kagome held her hands out over Shippo's head. Drawing strength from the glow of the moon she whispered a spell and a glow radiated from her hands and surrounded the small fox demon.

Soon the glow became larger and Kagome stepped back, pulling her hands away. The glow shrank and on the ground in front of her was a large fox with bright green eyes.

"There you go Shippo," she whispered.

The two of them headed back inside, Shippo staying a fox even after he had reached his door.

Kagome went to her room after opening the door for Shippo and was about ot walk in when Aup ran up to her.

"Kagome, I need to speak with you now."

"It can't be so important that we have to talk about it now. It can definitely wait until morning."

"I'm afraid it can't. It's a message from Tohru."

"Why did Ru send a message?"

"She says that there are bad omens over this land."

"Which ones. Famine, betrayal?"

"War. She says we must prepare now, for war is upon us."

Kagome swore and ran down the hallway towards Inutaishou's room banging on Sango's door as she passed by and dragging the confused demon slayer with her. Aup followed and called to Kirara who followed in human form.

* * *

THE END

* * *

Ru-Chan: SURPRISE! That's right, this is the last chatper of Nii-Chan. It's just no fun to write it anymore, and the problem is that I didn't end up writing it the way I had planned to all along. I had intened to have Kagome's friends more involved in the story all along, but they didn't show up for a long time and then I kinda for got them.

And my reviews were never in great supply. I know stories that are half as long that have 200 odd reviews. It's enough to make a person hurt inside and give up. I'll Be There is going fairly well, but this is just over.

Thank you to those of you who have reivewed. I know I ended on a cliff hanger. I'm sorry. Maybe I'll write a sequel later. I noticed that I never put Kagome with anyone and that hadn't been my plan. I may write a short fic to tell what happens. But the Problem (and yes that is Problem with a capital P) is that the story is always changing in my head and what happens to the characters in her world changes most of all. I didn't have anything set up really, not in the way I wanted to. I would have had to do back stories and my readers needed to know the characters that showed up. Most people probably did not recognize Robin from Witch Hunter Robin, a great anime. It just wasn't working. If I get enough reviews for this chapter I might do an epilogue chapter, so I won't mark this as complete yet, but don't expect much from me on this any more. I think it's more fun to see what you think.

So while I'm at it I think I will ask you my dedicated readers to tell me what you want in an epilogue. You can say what you wantto happen or just what you want to know, like who Kagome gets with in the end. If I get enough stuff from you i will try and include as much as it as I can in an epilogue. If not, I know that no one really cared and it was definately time to end this.

I won't get rid of this. It will stay around for anyone who is looking. But I am done.

Joe: I said she was evil. But reveiw her please!

Bob: And if you read Seal my Soul and you haven't reviewed yet please do. We still need one more review before we can update, or we might pull it. And then you wouldn't get to know the end. So reveiw!


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